Rooftops
by Staryday
Summary: Harry just wants to forget all his responsibilities and be free. Duo wants to live life to the fullest before it comes to a dramatic end. When they meet on the rooftops of London, will sparks fly or will they both fade away with the night? Duo/Harry SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So I wrote this because my brain is pretty much fried on Infiltrate Preventers. I thought maybe if I take a break and write something else I'll be able to get back into the swing of things. So here's a story about Duo and Harry both being thieves and running around rooftops together.**

 **This is slash. Duo/Harry pairing. Rated for language and possible adult scenes in the future.**

 **Chapter One:**

Harry gathered his magic around him and grinned wickedly as he leapt from the rooftop. The wind slapped his face and cooled down his hot skin. Behind him he could hear shouting and the sound of gunfire. A bullet whizzed past his foot but didn't come close to catching him. The next rooftop moved closer as Harry descend from his jump and landed hard, rolling forward into a somersault. He sprung to his feet and turned, staring at the dumbfounded policemen who couldn't understand how a kid had just made a twenty foot jump without receiving a single injury.

Harry laughed and waved before turning and running across the building. He leapt over the rooftops of the city, enjoying the wind on his face and the feeling of freedom. It wasn't quiet as exhilarating as riding a broom but it was pretty close.

As Harry ran he caught movement from the corner of his eye. He slowed to a stop and ducked behind a large chimney stack. He peered around the corner, looking for some sort of motion. He spotted it two buildings away. A person was standing on the ledge of a roof that was couple stories higher than the one Harry was one. A long braid flapped in the wind and striking violet eyes shone in the dark. From this distance, Harry couldn't tell if the person was male or female, but it was obvious they were watching him. Smirking, Harry flicked them off before running to the edge and jumping.

The figure immediately followed, chasing after him in the night. Harry glanced over his shoulder, feeling a little curious. No one had ever tried to follow him over rooftops before. Even wizards didn't run around using their magic like this. Harry relied on magic to make the longer jumps and give him a boost of strength and energy when needed. Most of the other witches and wizards didn't have the power or stamina to keep up.

Harry landed on a roof, his shoes skidding over the hard cement to come to a stop. He turned and was surprised when the figure was only one building away. Whoever the person was seemed to be stuck. The building Harry was standing on was at least a fifteen foot jump from the mystery person. Harry crossed his arms and waited. He could make the jump without a problem, but could this mystery figure do it as well?

The person vanished from sight and Harry frowned, feeling disappointed. He had been hoping for something more dramatic, not for the person to just give up and walk away. As Harry turned to leave, the wind carried the sound of pounding footsteps. He looked back and watched as the person charged off the roof and launched himself into the sky. For a heart stopping moment, Harry wasn't sure the person would make it. But then they twisted and stuck their feet out, landing on the edge of the rooftop. They fell forward onto their hands and knees, breathing hard.

A moment passed and the person stood, locking eyes with Harry. Up close, Harry could now see the mystery figure was a man. He was only an inch taller than Harry but looked a couple years older. His eyes were sparkling with mischief but behind that Harry could see they were hard. The man was wearing a skin tight black shirt and black jeans, showing off his muscled arms. Harry took all this in with an appreciative glance.

"You shouldn't wear such tight clothes when running," he commented casually. "Slows you down."

The person shrugged. "Managed to keep up with you."

Harry snorted. "Barely."

They sized each other up. Though Harry mocked him, he was secretly impressed by this newcomer's ability.

"You're Harry Potter, right?" the guy asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Who wants to know?"

"They call me Duo, master thief extraordinaire. I may run and ride but I'll never tell a lie."

"I don't believe that for second," Harry laughed. "So why are you looking for me, Master Thief? I don't have anything to steal."

Duo smirked. "I don't believe _that_ for a second." He walked forward, stopping just out of arms reach. "I know all about your Robin Hood ways."

Harry laughed loudly, the sound carried away by the wind gusting around them. "Whoever told you that is full of shit. I steal for me and no one else."

Duo nodded, a grin appearing on his face. "I don't care about your reasons, honestly. I just want in."

"In what?"

"You're the best thief in this city. You can do things no one else can. Get into places no one should be able to get into. I want to know how. I want to know your secrets."

Harry crossed his arms and stared at the man. "So what? You just want me to tell you?"

"That would be easiest."

Harry laughed at Duo's cocky attitude. "I'll make you a deal, Master Thief, if you can keep up, I'll tell you anything you want."

Without waiting for an answer Harry turned on his heel and ran. Duo was only a step behind him and together they launched themselves into the sky. The wind whipped past them, snatching at their clothes and hair. Harry pressed his legs to go faster and used his magic to jump higher. The adrenaline filled him every time he leapt, looking down to the street. One misstep and the fall from this height would kill him instantly, magic or no magic.

Next to him, Duo let out a yell as he pushed his body faster. Harry glanced over briefly and saw the man smiling. He couldn't help himself and grinned too. Up ahead the buildings began to spread out as they got further away from the inner city. The next jump was one Harry knew well. It was nearly thirty feet and pressed him to his limits.

Next to him Harry noticed Duo slow down as he saw the jump. The teen grinned. The run had been fun but it was time to put an end to it. The sun was starting to rise and running on the rooftops during the day was nearly impossible because of the heat and blinding light. Whoever this Duo character was, he had been an amusing distraction and nothing more. As he slowed down, Harry smirked and ran faster.

Duo crashed into the ledge, coming to an abrupt stop. He watched, his mouth hanging open, as Harry flung himself from the rooftop. A gust of wind blew hard and helped propel Harry forward in the air. The boy twisted his body, a shout of joy escaping his lips, before he crashed onto the rooftop. He rolled, not being able to land on his feet, and skid to a stop. Scrapes appeared on his arms and hands but Harry ignored them. He lay on the cement, breathing hard. After catching his breath, he sat up, shaking his head.

Duo was still standing on the last rooftop, staring at Harry with an unreadable expression. Harry stood, dusting off his pants. He blew a mocking kiss at the other man before turning and sauntering away. Duo had been a fun distraction but no one could keep up with Harry.

He was the most powerful wizard of the age, after all.

*!*!*!*

Harry flopped on his couch, lazily flipping through the channels of his small TV. He hated daytime. During the day he usually stayed inside. Too many people knew his face so going out into the world when everyone could see him was dangerous. So while the sun was up, Harry tried to sleep and pass the time. When night came he would slip out the window and wander the streets. Sometimes he would go on heist, other times he ran across the rooftops, or, if neither of those options were appealing, Harry would just walk, watching the people and night activity around him.

The door to the small apartment opened and two boys the same age as Harry walked in, their arms full of groceries. More bags sat outside the door as the two dropped their burdens on the counter.

"A little help?" one of them called to Harry, his voice slightly annoyed. Harry glanced at them and waved his hand. Instantly the items in the bags floated up and began putting themselves away.

"You shouldn't rely on magic so much!" the other boy scolded. "You'll get fat and lazy."

"I'm already fat and lazy," Harry mumbled. He poked at his stomach. "Okay, maybe just lazy."

The two boys, Shue and Magic, were currently Harry's only friends. Shue was an average teen with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He had been kicked out of his house by his father for being a "useless drain on the family." Though Shue was skilled at almost everything he did, he was the laziest person Harry had ever met. To him, work was the act of the devil and therefor should be avoided at all costs. He had an easy going nature and usually got along well with everyone, so long as they didn't try and make him work.

Magic was the exact opposite. He was slightly smaller than the other two with brown hair and strange mismatched eyes. A genetic abnormality passed onto him by his mother, Magic had one blue eye and one green. This strangeness had made him an outsider since he was child. Growing up in an orphanage after his parents died, Magic learned to work hard and fend for himself, as no one was ever willing to help the weird orphan boy.

Harry stretched and wandered to the kitchen as the food finished putting itself away. "Did you get any bananas?"

"Here," Magic said, reaching into a bag still on the floor. He held the fruit out to Harry who took it gratefully. "Harry! What happened to your arms?"

Confused, the teen looked down and noticed the scrapes decorating his pale skin. "Oh, I made that long jump last night but didn't quite get the landing."

"The long one at the edge of town?" Shue asked. "What were you doing out there? Usually you stay in the inner city, right?"

Magic hurried to the bathroom and came back with a small first aid kit in his hands. He forced Harry to sit down while opening a nearly empty bottle of rubbing alcohol.

"Yeah, I was running from someone last night though and ended up there."

Shue looked mildly surprised by the news. Harry enjoyed watching his friend's face for different reactions. He was usually so stoic or bored that his face never changed. Personally, Harry thought Shue was just too lazy to be expressive.

"Who was chasing you?" Magic asked worriedly as he dabbed a cotton ball on Harry's arms. Harry didn't even notice the sting from the alcohol. "Was it the police again?"

"No actually, it was some guy who claimed to be a Master Thief. He wanted to know my secrets and I said I'd tell him if he could keep up."

Shue snorted. "No one can keep up with you."

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome."

Magic frowned in disapproval at the two. "Don't make jokes. That's really dangerous! Harry, you need to be more careful! There are others like you out there and I don't want to see you getting caught."

"Wizards stay out of muggle London. You know that, Mag."

"Wasn't this guy a wizard?" Shue asked. "I thought only your kind ran around rooftops like idiots."

Harry shrugged. "I don't know if he was. I didn't bother asking."

Magic finished cleaning his scrapes and put the first aid kit away. When he returned to the living room both his friends were lazing on the couch watching TV. He shook his head. Sometimes he wondered why he put up with these two. They were both the laziest people in the entire world.

"We spent all the money we had today on food," he announced. Both teens ignored him and Magic sighed. He placed himself in front of the TV, crossing his arms. "I _said_ we spent all our money."

Harry glanced at his annoyed friend and felt a stab of longing. Magic looked so much like Hermione when he crossed his arms and scowled at them. He briefly wondered how the girl was doing and if she was still dating Ron but forced the thought from his mind. He didn't like thinking about his old friends and life. He had left the Wizarding World for good and had no intentions of ever going back.

Shue titled his head, trying to see the screen around Magic's body. "So? What do you want us to do about it?"

Magic growled in annoyance and Harry smiled. "I think he wants us to go on a heist."

"We're not the only ones who need money. I found a group of kids living on the streets who are very close to starving to death. They need help."

"They need families," Harry muttered. "Giving them money is like putting a band aid on a knife wound."

"Giving them money will help them to trust me so that I can help them find something better."

"So where do you want us to go?" Shue asked. "You have something in mind, right?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

Magic vanished into his room and Harry sighed, switching the TV off. He and Shue sat up as the brunette reentered the living room, holding a couple of folded papers.

"This is a man named Adiar," Magic explained. "He has more than enough money and tends to spend it on frivolous things." He showed them a picture of a tall man with a square jaw and hard eyes. He was standing before an expansive mansion with a statue made out of pure gold behind him.

"Let me guess," Shue said. "You want us to steal the statue."

"Of course not," Magic snapped. "Even if Harry could shrink it, the thing is made out of pure gold! Where are we going to trade that much gold into cash without being noticed? He has a safe in his study on the fifth floor of the mansion. I want you to break into that and take everything inside."

"How do you know where this safe is?"

Magic flushed. "I just do."

"Sure," Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine, we'll go clean this guy out. You know, people are starting to call me Robin Hood because of the targets you keep picking."

Magic snorted. "You are not Robin Hood."

"That's what I said!"

"Well now that that's decided, I'm taking a nap." Shue sprawled over the couch, not caring when he used Harry as a pillow. "I'm exhausted."

"How can you possibly be tired? You've only be awake for two hours!"

"Yeah, two hours that you made me waste shopping!"

Harry laughed at his friends. "I'm with Shue. If we're going on a heist tonight I'm taking a nap too."

Magic sighed as his friends made themselves comfortable. He supposed he should start thinking about what to make for dinner. He would need to make sure the other two were well fed before their illegal venture tonight. As Magic peered around the cupboards for inspiration he noticed both his friends already sound asleep on the couch and smiled to himself.

Really, what would those two do without him?

*!*!*!*

Magic stood in the park across from the mansion his friends were going to rob tonight. He hated that mansion. Nothing but bad memories existed in that place. He felt vindicated, sending the other two to rob the place. At least all that money would be put to good use for once. Shue and Harry appeared next to him.

"So here are the security pass codes," Magic said, handing them both slips of paper. "I don't know the ones for the safe so Harry you'll have to open that yourself."

"Sure sure," Harry dismissed, pocketing the codes.

"You gonna tell us how you know this place so well?" Shue asked.

"No. Now get going, I'll be waiting back home for you both. Please be careful."

Harry and Shue traded looks as the other boy walked away and shrugged. All three of them had their secrets and it was an unspoken agreement to not ask about them unless they were ready to share their own.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

"Let's go."

Breaking into the mansion was laughably easy with the security codes Magic had given them. Security guards who crossed their paths were taken out easily with a swift blow to their head from Shue or a silent stunning charm from Harry. After hiding the unconscious bodies, the two continued on until they made it to the fifth floor. The safe was in the private study, exactly where Magic had described it. They ignored the large portrait of the mansion's owner, Adair, and instead went for the small picture of water lilies on the wall near the door. Behind it was a safe with a digital lock. Shue stood aside and gestured for Harry to do his thing.

Harry focused his magic in his hand and placed it on the lock. He allowed a little bit to trickle from his fingers and the numbers started flashing on the small screen. After a moment an error message appeared and the lock popped open, short circuited by Harry's magic.

Shue shrugged the empty bag he'd been carrying off his shoulder and reached into the safe, pulling out the wads of cash and leaving the jewelry behind. They didn't have the time or resources to fence stolen jewelry. As he emptied out the cash, something caught his eye and he pulled it out. It was a picture of Adair and a small brunette boy wearing sunglasses. Neither was smiling in the picture and it was taken in front of the mansion.

"Is that Magic?" Harry asked curiously.

Shue flipped the picture over. One the back in tidy handwriting it read _Ithel's first day home_.

"What's Magic's real name?"

"I don't know," Shue admitted. "I never asked."

An alarm suddenly blared around them, startling the boys. Harry looked at the safe and noticed a blinking red light in the back.

"There's an alarm in the safe," he said over the noise.

Shue was making a face and rubbing his ears. He shoved the picture into his bag and shrugged it onto his shoulders. Harry turned to him and held out his hand.

"Shall we?"

"No way," Shue grumbled, pushing past him. "You're damn teleporting sucks. Let's just do this normal for once."

Harry shrugged. "Whatever you say."

The two ran over to the balcony and looked out. Already police sirens could be seen in the distance.

"Up or down?" Harry asked.

Shue glanced around and noticed vines growing up the walls of the mansion. "Down," he said.

Together the two climbed over the edge and scaled the building using the vines. When they close enough to jump without getting hurt, they let go, landing in a crouch in the back garden. The house was surrounded by officers now and the two dashed across the yard. They made it to back where a large iron fence blocked their path. Harry gathered his magic and jumped, sailing over the seven foot fence easily. Shue tossed the bag of money over to him before using his skinny frame and momentum to squeeze through the iron bars. He nearly got stuck but sucked in a deep breath and fell through.

Harry helped him up and the two ran down the street together. Bright lights rounded the corner and lit up the street. The boys dashed into the park as the police skid their cars to a stop. Floodlights lit up the dark trees and Harry and Shue ducked behind one. Harry tossed the bag of goods into the high branches as officers began flooding the park.

Shue cursed lightly as he realized there was no where for them to run without being seen. He knew Harry could get them out of the situation in a heartbeat but he really didn't like the apparating thing. It was extremely uncomfortable and very disorientating. As the officers got closer, Harry leaned against the tree casually, not at all concerned by their predicament.

"So what do you want to do?" he asked, acting as if they were out for a stroll and not on the run from the cops.

Shue sighed. "Can't be helped, I suppose."

Just as the officers drew near, Shue pressed himself flush against Harry and grabbed him into a deep kiss. The lights from the officer's torches landed on them and Shue pulled back, putting on a confused face and flinching from the lights.

"You two!" the man in blue shouted. "What are you doing here?"

Shue frowned. "Isn't it obvious...?"

"Did you see anything suspicious?"

Shue shook his head, noticing Harry turned away, trying to hide his face. Most officers didn't know him by sight but it was better to be safe than sorry.

The man sneered at the two. "Go home, both of you." He walked away, shaking his head. Shue was sure he heard him mutter, "Damn fags," under his breath as he left. When he was gone Harry lifted his head, shaking the hair out of his eyes and smirking at his friend.

"Classic."

"Works better with two guys. No one ever expects it to be a couple of gays."

They waited until the officers had cleared out before retrieving the bag from the tree and calmly walking out of the park.

"Is it just me or do these jobs keep getting easier?" Harry mused.

"If you want a challenge, I'm sure Magic can find something hard for you."

"Don't you mean Ithel?"

Shue fished the picture out of the bag and stared at it blankly. Harry had been with the other teen long enough to know that it troubled him, even if he didn't say anything. Suddenly the area was filled with bright lights and the boys flinched, covering their eyes from the sudden onslaught.

"Seriously?" Harry muttered, annoyed.

Sirens blared and the police car sped towards them. The two teens ran for it, dashing across the street in front of the traffic on the road. Cars skid to a stop, horns blaring and people cursing, as the two ran. More officers appeared in cars and drove on the sidewalk in an effort to catch the two thieves.

"That's dangerous!" Shue called over his shoulder. Harry grabbed his arm and pulled him down an alley. Unfortunately it led to a dead end. Harry stuck his hands in his pockets and kicked the brick wall with a scowl. A police car parked at the entrance of the alley, effectively trapping them.

"This is obnoxious," Harry grumbled. He glanced at Shue. "Well?"

The blonde grumbled in complaint but held out his hand. If apparating was the only way out he would just have to deal with it. Before Harry could take his hand though the sound of a metal falling made them both jump back. A fire escape was above their heads and the ladder had been released.

"Did you do that?" Shue asked.

Harry shook his head as he shoved his friend towards the new escape route. Shue climbed up first and didn't stop until he was on the roof. Harry jumped up behind him and looked around. Standing in the middle of the roof was none other than Duo, the Master Thief from the night before. Interested, Harry sat on the ledge, smirking at the cocky man.

"Master Thief," Harry greeted. "Didn't expect to see you again."

"You two looked like you could use some help," Duo shrugged, a smile playing at his lips.

"Friend of yours?" Shue asked.

Harry shrugged. "Not sure yet."

The sound of gunshots reminded them they weren't out of trouble yet. Harry leaned over the side and flicked the police off as they began to scale the fire escape. He turned to the other two.

"Well guys, shall we get out of here?"

Shue sighed. "More running? What a tiresome night."

Together the three ran across the rooftop, easily jumping to the next. The police fired blindly at them but it didn't take long for the three to be out of range of their guns. Even so, Harry didn't stop until they were far enough away that they couldn't see or hear sirens in the distance. When he finally came to a stop, the other two were panting lightly but Harry wasn't out of breath. His magic fueled his stamina, making it easy to keep going.

Shue shrugged off the bag of money and sat down, catching his breath. "Well that wasn't fun," he muttered. "I'm ready to go home now."

"Where's home?" Duo asked. He was bouncing on his heels and looking mischievous.

Harry glanced at him. "What makes you think we're going to tell you that?"

"Awe come on, I saved you. Don't you trust me?"

Harry snorted. "You think you saved us?"

"Give him a break," Shue defended. "If it had been anyone but us he really would have."

Harry shrugged and glanced at the bouncing thief. "I guess you're right. Fine, we'll give a cut."

Shue didn't argue as he reached into the bag and pulled out a small wad of money. He tossed it to the man who caught it easily.

"I'm not interested in your cash," Duo said but pocketed the money away. "I told you, I want to know more about you."

"And I told you not if you can't keep up."

"What, I only get one chance?" Duo pouted slightly before smirking. "Or are you afraid I'll be able to catch you this time?"

Harry shot him a disbelieving look. "I'm not afraid of anything."

"Awe, now who's lying?" Duo asked, sauntering forward. "Everyone's afraid of something."

Harry's eyes narrowed at the seductive tone and movements. This guy just wouldn't give up. Harry had no idea who he was or why he was so interested in Harry but the way Duo moved and spoke intrigued the teen. He was cocky or confident, Harry really couldn't tell which, and had just helped them out of a tough situation.

"All right," Harry agreed. "I'll let you have a second chance. I don't mind embarrassing you twice."

Duo's beautifully violet eyes sparkled and he grinned widely. Shue stood up, watching the two with narrowed eyes. "I'm not running around this city after you two weirdos. I'll see you at home."

"Be careful," Harry ordered. "If you get into trouble, call me."

Shue waved dismissively. "Yeah yeah. You do know I was doing this solo long before you came around, right?"

Without another word, Shue jumped from the rooftop they were on and climbed down another fire escape. Harry waited until he was safely on the ground before turning to Duo. He looked the man up and down, admiring his lithe form and muscled torso. Whoever this Duo character was, he was certainly good looking.

"Okay Master Thief," Harry said. "Here are the rules."

"Rules?"

"Do you know where the Hotel Lounge is?"

Duo nodded.

"Okay. I'll race you there. You can use any means you want to beat me there but you can _never_ let your feet touch the ground."

"And what do I get if I win?"

"It doesn't matter," Harry dismissed. "Because you won't."

Without warning, Harry ran past the man, launching himself from the roof. Behind him he heard Duo laugh and couldn't resist smiling. Hopefully this game would fun.

The Hotel Lounge was thirty minute run from where they started. Harry lost sight of Duo about halfway and eventually forgot all about the other man. He let his magic go and just enjoyed the feeling of freedom running around the city gave him. He jumped from rooftop to rooftop, closing his eyes and letting the wind whip his hair. The sound of car horns drew his attention and Harry paused in his running to look at the street below.

His mouth fell open slightly as he spotted Duo kneeling on top of a small box truck. People who had noticed him were honking their horns and freaking out. Duo jumped from his box car onto another vehicle turning left. He looked up and spotted Harry. With a large grin, Duo waved before jumping to different vehicle and vanishing out of sight around the corner.

Harry couldn't believe it. He did say Duo could never touch the ground but to jump on the roofs of _cars_? Harry had never even thought to try that. Realizing there was now a chance that he could lose, Harry hurried across the rooftops. He knew he could just apparate to the Hotel but decided not to. He felt like it would be cheating and, if Harry were being honest with himself, he was curious to find out what Duo would ask for if he won their race.

It didn't take long for Harry to arrive at the rooftop. He landed with a hard thud and straightened. It seemed as though Harry was worried over nothing. There was no sign of Duo on the roof. He turned around, taking in the view of the city lights twinkling around him. The city shone during the night and Harry never got tired of looking at it.

Movement behind him had Harry whipping around, his fist raised. Duo caught his attack easily, a smirk adorning his handsome face.

"Looks like I win."

"What are you talking about? I was here first."

Duo shook his head. "Nope. You might have been on this roof first, but I was in the hotel before you got here. You never specified _where_ in the hotel we had to be."

Harry blinked. He wasn't sure if this guy was a thief like he claimed but he was certainly a trickster, finding loopholes in Harry's words like that.

"Alright," Harry admitted. "I'll give you this one." Duo snorted and Harry dismissed him with a shrug. "So what do you want for winning?"

Harry leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. The other man pretended to look thoughtful.

"What _do_ I want?" He looked Harry up and down slowly, taking in his skinny body, curvy hips, and windswept hair. "I want a lot of things."

Harry frowned. "Don't even think about it."

"Think about what?"

Duo sauntered forward, grinning like a Cheshire cat. He moved in close to Harry, who tensed, but as he came close enough for them to touch Duo suddenly jerked away, leaning against the wall next to the teen instead. Harry blinked in surprise and turned to him with narrowed eyes.

"I want to know how old you are."

Harry gaped at him. "What?"

"Tell me your age."

"Seriously?" the teen exclaimed, jumping forward. "After all this you just want to know my age?"

"Yup."

Completely confused, Harry crossed his arms. "Nineteen."

Duo nodded and pushed off against the wall. "Not jail-bait, good to know."

Duo walked over to the roof exit and Harry stared after him in confusion. When he opened the door to leave, Harry called out.

"Wait!"

Duo turned, his hand still on the doorknob.

"That's it? You're just leaving?"

Duo grinned. "For now. See ya around, Robin Hood."

He slammed the door behind him, leaving a very confused Harry behind on the rooftop.

* * *

 **A/N: So who knows if this will ever be finished. It's more like a drapple than an actual fic. I have more written so there'll at least be a second chapter... beyond that I promise nothing.**

 **Anyways, I hoe you guys like this, please review and let me know! Reviews get me inspired and being inspired means I write more and everyone likes that, right? ;)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So a lot of you asked if Duo was a Preventer and was supposed to be tracking down Harry for being a thief. That was actually the original idea for the story but it kinda faded away as I wrote and this fic took on a life of it's own. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it.**

 **So here's another chapter.**

 **Chapter Two**

When Harry arrived back at his apartment it was to a tense atmosphere. Shue was sitting on the couch glaring at Magic who was cleaning a spotless counter. Harry paused as he looked at his friends.

"'Sup guys?"

"Welcome back, Harry. Is everything alright?" Magic asked, his tone forcefully polite.

"Totally. What's going on here?"

Shue shrugged. "He's pissy cuz I asked how Ithel's doing."

Magic slammed his cleaning supplies on the counter. "Don't call me that!"

"Yikes, touchy subject," Harry muttered. "So you showed him the picture?"

"What picture?"

Shue grabbed the picture they had stolen from the bag of money and handed it to Magic. The two sat on the worn out stools in front of the counter and watched their friend expectantly. Magic's mismatched eyes softened as he took in the image. After a moment his face hardened and he tore the picture in half, tossing it away.

"Bad memories?" Shue asked, watching the pieces float to the floor.

"Adair adopted me when I was ten years old," Magic explained in a soft voice. "My real name is Ithel."

Shue and Harry shared a look but didn't interrupt.

"He was a hard man but not cruel. He was very demanding and taught me his way of life. As I grew up, he shaped and molded me into a perfect image of him. He wanted me to grow up and take over his fortune and business and run it just like he does."

Magic played with his sponge and didn't meet his friends' eyes as he spoke. "I wanted to use his money to help people but he refused. He said he earned that money and it was his and his alone. If others wanted riches then they could work their way out of poverty, just as he did. We butted heads a lot and eventually I couldn't take it anymore. I told him I wouldn't live by his rules any longer and he said if I didn't, then I could get out. So I did. I ran away and didn't look back."

Shue and Harry stared at their friend who still wouldn't look at them. Shue broke the silence.

"Damn Mag, that's cold."

Magic looked up in confusion. "What?"

"Sending us to rob your father," Harry answered. "I mean, that's just harsh."

Magic stared at them, his mouth opening closing, unsure of what to say. The two laughed.

"Come on, Magic," Shue reached out and gently punched his shoulder. "You do remember that my father kicked me out, right? He didn't even give me the option of living by his rules. Just said get out and bam, I was out."

"So how'd you get the name Magic?" Harry asked.

"Oh, well when I was little I could do tricks, like make a pencil float and close a door by waving my hand at it. It pretty much went away as I grew up though."

"Weird," Harry mused. "If you were a wizard you would have gotten a letter when you turned eleven. The only thing I can think of is that you weren't strong enough to warrant one."

The brunette shrugged. "One of life's mysteries, I guess."

"So what about you, Harry?" Shue asked. Harry raised a questioning eyebrow. "We know that Magic and I got the boot from our dads, your father kick you out too?"

Harry shook his head. "My parents were murdered when I was baby. I never met them."

The other two traded surprised looks and Harry smiled.

"No, no one kicked me out. I ran away. I just couldn't take it anymore. All the attention, the fawning, the responsibility. I thought after the war was over it would get easier but it just got harder."

"What war?" Shue asked. "The one with the colonies?"

Harry shook his head. "It doesn't matter, it's over now. I came here to be free and that's what I am. I have no intention of ever going back."

Shue and Magic accepted his words and the three moved from the kitchen to the living room. Shue chose a movie while Magic got some snacks. Harry flopped on the couch, lost in his thoughts. Shue glanced over his shoulder.

"So how'd it go with your new 'friend'?"

Harry snorted. "Damned if I know."

"New friend?" Magic asked.

"Harry's got himself an admirer," Shue teased, placing a disk in the DVD player. "A good looking one too."

"I wouldn't call him an admirer," Harry muttered. He couldn't stop remembering how Duo had gotten close enough to kiss him but didn't. And why did he only ask about his age? It didn't make any sense. Who was this so-called Master Thief and what did he want?

The movie started and Magic whined at the horror flick Shue had chosen. Harry made himself comfortable and barely paid attention to the movie, his mind miles away on the strange thief with the braided hair.

*!*!*!*

With how much money they had stolen from Magic's adopted father, Shue and Harry didn't need to go on a heist anytime soon. Currently, Harry stood on the rooftop of a nightclub, looking down at all the people in line. They were shivering and huddled close to ward off the cold. Harry remembered standing outside in the exact same way once a long time ago with Ginny. Harry hadn't wanted special treatment and insisted they wait in line like everyone else but the girl had gotten fed up with cold and dragged them to the front. No one argued when the bouncers immediately let the great Chosen One through without complaint and Harry had to spend the rest of the night signing autographs and turning down offers to dance. Ginny had been furious with all the attention and Harry had snapped it was her damn fault for announcing to everyone he was there in the first place.

That had been the beginning of the end for the couple. They couldn't go anywhere without Harry being recognized and eventually Ginny got sick of never having her boyfriend to herself. Harry was always in a foul move because he couldn't step out of his house without being hounded by fans. The two had broken things off in a rather messy way and Harry had run away from the Wizarding World not long after.

With a sigh, Harry decided to go home. He wasn't doing anything and standing here thinking about the past was just depressing him. Maybe Magic or Shue would feel up to hanging out, if they weren't too tired. Neither boy was as much a night owl as Harry was.

As Harry straightened he felt a tingling on the back of his neck and instinctively whipped around, swinging his fist. Duo was standing just out of arm's reach, a smile adorning his face.

"Hey there Robin Hood, haven't seen you for awhile."

"Master Thief," Harry said coldly. "Don't sneak up on me like that."

"Who was sneaking?" Duo teased. "What are you doing up here? There's nothing around here for you to steal."

"I wasn't casing anything," Harry answered. "I was just watching."

Duo joined him at the edge of the roof and looked down. "I'm not a big fan of clubs, personally, too loud."

"Me too," Harry agreed. "I just like this particular roof."

"You have a favorite roof?"

"Sure," Harry shrugged. "I have routes mapped out in my head all over the place. I like this one the best because if you head that way," he pointed down the street, "the buildings are all different heights. It's a challenge to make it through without falling."

Duo nodded. "Okay, let's do it then."

"What?"

"Lead the way," Duo said, gesturing with a tiny bow. "I'll follow."

Intrigued, Harry nodded. "Alright, try and keep up, Master Thief."

Duo grinned as Harry got a running start and leapt from the rooftop. He watched the teen for a moment before following. Together the two ran above the city with the wind playing with their hair. Harry glanced over his shoulder and grinned when he noticed Duo's braid flying directly behind him. He laughed and increased his speed jumping from roof to roof excitedly, his depression from his past fading away the faster he went.

As they ran the uneven roofs started to become more apparent and Harry changed his pace to better handle it. His favorite part was coming up. It was a set of three buildings where the first was higher than the second so he had to jump down but then the next was much taller so he had to jump up. The trick was to not lose momentum when jumping down but also not be running so fast that he fell when he landed.

Harry spotted the buildings and launched himself into the air. He rolled as he landed and used his speed to launch himself upwards. He grabbed the edge of the tallest roof and hauled himself up easily. Turning, he watched as Duo attempted to copy his move but he slowed down too much when he came out of his roll. He jumped up but his fingers only brushed the roof top edge. As Duo fell, Harry leaned over and caught his arm with a grunt. With a mighty tug, Harry managed to lift Duo up enough that the braided man could grab the ledge and pull himself the rest of the way.

They sat on the roof, catching their breath.

"I fell a few times before I finally figured out the trick."

Duo glanced down at the long drop. "That must've hurt."

"Not as much as I expected."

They sat together, watching the city lights and cars drive by. Even at night, London was full of life.

"So why did you only ask about my age?" Harry suddenly spoke. The question had been bugging him all week and he was glad he finally got to ask it. He was worried he would never see Duo again.

The braided man smiled. "Why do you care?"

Harry shrugged, trying to act casual. "I don't."

"Then why you asking about it?"

Harry glared, feeling embarrassed for bringing the topic up in the first place. "Don't get full of yourself! I had just been thinking about it this week and thought I'd ask, no big deal."

Duo laughed. "All week? Didn't realize I was already in your head. At least that helps me make up my mind to do this."

Duo reached out and placed a hand on the back of Harry's neck, pulling him close. He paused just before their lips met, giving the teen an opportunity to break free if he wanted to. When Harry didn't resist, Duo smiled and connected their lips.

*!*!*!*

Everyday for two weeks Harry met Duo in the city and they spent the entire night together. Harry would show him his favorite routes over the rooftops and Duo followed him wherever he went. They spent the nights talking and learning about one another but neither one mentioned their pasts. It was an unspoken agreement that until both were ready to share, neither would bring the topic up. Instead they ran through the night, trading kisses and laughing, chasing each other and enjoying their freedom.

Shue and Magic noticed a change in their friend right away. Harry was more energetic and talkative. He didn't sleep as much and helped out more around the apartment and with the shopping. The biggest change they observed was his smile. Usually Harry switched between being stoic or snarky but for the last two weeks he had a gentle smile gracing his lips. There was no doubt about it; Harry was happy.

One night Harry landed on a rooftop with large grin and turned as Duo landed next to him. He grabbed his arm as soon as the braided man got his balance and pulled him towards the edge.

"This is my favorite spot in the whole city," Harry announced.

Duo took in the view. It wasn't that impressive as they were surrounded by tall dark buildings with no lights on at this time of night. The street was lit up brightly and cars only drove past every few minutes making this place quieter than most of the city. A small park was visible from the roof but even that wasn't very impressive. It only had a couple trees and the playground equipment was rundown.

"I know it's not much," Harry said. "But look over by the tree." A couple was standing together and as they watched, the man knelt on one knee and held out a ring. The woman gushed a moment before nodding and the two kissed, their smiles lighting up the night.

"I have no idea what it is about this place but I've never seen so many proposals and not a single person ever says no."

Duo smiled as he leaned against the roof. "You had me completely fooled, kid. When we first met I thought you were some tough ass punk-wannabe but really, you're just a hopeless romantic."

Harry pouted lightly. "Don't make fun of me because I enjoy seeing others happy."

"I'm not," Duo assured. "So is that what you want someday? For someone to get down on one knee and ask you to marry them?"

Harry shrugged. "Never really thought about it. I've never really thought about my future at all. I mean, until a little while ago, I wasn't even sure I was going to get one." He glanced at Duo. "What about you? Do you see yourself getting married in the future?"

Duo wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Nah. I'm not the marrying type of guy. But I've got this friend, short blonde who has a habit of sticking his nose in other people's business. Now _he's_ the marrying type. I wanna be around when he finally convinces his boyfriend to leave the circus and tie the knot."

"Leave the circus?" Harry repeated disbelievingly.

Duo laughed. "It's a long story. Maybe I'll tell you someday."

Harry shrugged. "Two of my old friends got together awhile ago. I would have liked to see them get married too. Probably not going to happen now."

"Why not?"

"Because I ran away. I ran away and I don't plan on going back." Harry glanced at Duo who was watching him curiously. "Do you think I'm a coward? For running away from my problems instead of dealing with them?"

"If you are, then I am too." Duo suddenly lunged forward, catching Harry in his arms and twirling them around. He rested a hand on the small of his back and nuzzled his cheek. "I don't want to talk about the future anymore. I prefer to live in the here and now."

Harry nodded. "Me too. Screw the future, it sucks anyway."

"You got that right."

The two kissed, gently touching each other and learning what spots made the other shiver. They stayed together on the rooftop for the rest of the night, sometimes making-out but most of the time just talking. Nothing they said was important but they hung on one another words like it was God's scriptures to man. When the sun started to rise, Harry reluctantly sat up from where he was tangled with Duo's body.

"I've gotta get back, the guys will worry about me."

"Meet me here tonight," Duo requested. "This same spot, as soon as the sun sets."

Harry nodded. "I'll be here."

"I'll be waiting."

They shared a long farewell kiss before Harry finally put a stop to it and stood. He smiled down at Duo before turning and running. His heart was light and he couldn't help but giggle like a silly school-girl who had just talked to her first crush. Everything about Duo was perfect. He was handsome and strong and was the only person who could manage to keep up with him when running. He was straight forward and never lied and always spoke his mind. It was so refreshing after years of people walking on eggshells around Harry, not wanting to upset him or withholding the truth to try and "spare his feelings." Duo didn't try and control or change him and Harry knew, with absolute certainty, he was falling in love.

*!*!*!*

Another two weeks passed and Harry decided it was time to bring Duo home. With Shue and Magic's permission, Harry brought Duo to their shared apartment. It was small, with one bedroom and bathroom. The kitchen and living room were basically the same room, separated by beat up counter with two stools. Magic kept the place clean but not even he could hide the ruined countertops and peeling wallpaper that showed exactly how rundown the tiny place was.

Duo looked around in surprise. "Okay, you guys stole nearly ten grand from some guy a month ago. Why are you living here?"

Harry shrugged and turned to Magic, who just entered the room. "Mag, what'd you do you the money we stole from Adair?"

Magic paused and looked thoughtful. "Most of it went to homeless shelters, and I passed a lot of it out on the street. I also gave a pretty big chunk to the clinic down on New Castle Road. They just lost government funding again but they're the only place down there who provides medical treatment for free. I couldn't stand the thought of it getting closed down and those people having nowhere to go."

Harry nodded and turned back to Duo. "That's where it went. We keep enough so we always have food and can pay the bills."

Duo sent him a shrewd look. "You really are Robin Hood."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Hardly."

Magic came around the counter in the kitchen and held out his hand to Duo. "My name is Magic, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Oh sorry!" Harry exclaimed. "I forgot you guys haven't officially met. Duo, Magic, Magic, Duo."

They shook hands. "Nice to meet ya."

"Shue's around here somewhere," Harry muttered, glancing down the hall to the apartment's only bedroom.

"He's asleep," Magic answered. "He went out last night and wouldn't tell me where."

"Shue went out?" Harry asked in surprise. He wandered down the hall to the bedroom to check on his friend, leaving Duo alone with Magic. The braided man sat himself on a stool.

"Would like something to eat or drink?" the teen offered asked.

"Water please."

Magic nodded and grabbed a cup, turning the fosset on to let the water get cold. "So Harry talks about you lot. I hear you two have seen each other every night this month."

Duo grinned. "He's fun to hang out with. I enjoy running around with him."

Magic snorted. "Great, another weirdo who likes to jump around rooftops. Probably don't care that you could fall and break your neck at any moment."

Duo laughed. "You're absolutely right, I don't care."

With a very dramatic eye role, Magic handed Duo a cup of water. "Well you had better be careful. There are worse things in life than falling off a roof and dying."

Duo raised an eyebrow at the cryptic words and harsh stare and got the feeling this teen was threatening him. He merely smirked and lifted his glass, letting it go. He could ignore a veiled threat from a concerned friend. It honestly made him happy that Harry had someone who cared about him that much.

Harry and Shue entered the room, Harry smiling happily while Shue looked murderous. Without a word, Magic turned and began making a pot of coffee.

"Shue's up!" Harry announced loudly, making his friend flinch and glare. "He says he was out late last night because he had some errands to run!" Harry was purposefully speaking in a loud, obnoxious tone. Duo smiled slightly while Magic shook his head. "He won't tell me what his errands were though!"

"I will murder you," Shue growled, "if you don't _shut up_ right now!"

"Magic! Shue says he's going to murder me! Who do you think would win in a fight, me or him?" Harry was very nearly shouting by now and Shue had had enough. He shot forward and grabbed Harry's head, pulling him into a headlock. The two wrestled for a moment before Harry twisted free and pinned Shue's arms behind him. "The answer is me! I would win in a fight!"

The blond teen just groaned while Duo and Magic laughed.

"Okay Harry, he's suffered enough."

Harry released him and the teen grumbled before lazily flopping himself on the couch and burying his face into the cushions. Magic took him a cup of coffee.

"Well now that you're both awake, I have another job lined up."

Harry sat on the stool next to Duo while Shue hid his face deeper in the couch.

"What is it?" Harry asked, mildly interested. Normally by now he would be crawling out his skin wanting to do another job because he was bored but ever since Duo had come around, Harry didn't feel so antsy.

"A rich business man has recently moved to the city. The guy is richer than most small countries and I want to get enough from him to keep the Medical Center downtown open for the rest of the year."

"Someone has that much cash just lying around?" Shue asked, his voiced muffled by the couch.

"No, his funds are all electronic. Harry, you'll have to use your trick to get them."

Harry frowned. "My 'trick' fries computers, not hacks them. I'm not sure how breaking a computer will help."

"Because once you short circuit a computer you don't have to deal with security protocols," Shue muttered, lifting his head slightly from the couch pillow. "You can run a data retrieval program to get all your lost stuff back, including passwords."

"Exactly," Magic agreed. "So you'll fry the main computer, Shue will retrieve the passwords, and then send them to me. I'll be using a burner computer to transfer the money directly into a fake account I just recently created and then we'll have to withdraw the money from various ATMs."

"Don't ATMs stop you from withdrawing too much at once?" Harry asked.

"If we use ATMs run by different banks and are fast enough, that shouldn't be an issue."

Harry shrugged. "This seems like an overly complicated heist. Can't we just rob your dad again?"

Magic hit the counter in frustration and glared at Harry, who had the decency to look away.

"Okay, okay, we'll go after the business guy. When do you want us to go?"

"Tomorrow. There's some sort of event for all the big names in the city so no one will be home."

Shue dropped his head back down on the couch while Harry nodded. He grabbed Duo's glass of water to refill it while searching for a snack. Duo watched the three curiously.

"So that's it?" he asked. "This guys tells you two were to go and you just do it? You don't case the place, figure out security, anything?"

Magic shrugged. "There's no point. Harry can get in and out of anywhere without a problem."

"Yeah, it's made life so much easier since he came along."

"Gee thanks Shue, and here I thought you actually enjoyed my company."

Shue snorted and didn't answer. Harry rolled his eyes while Magic hid a smile.

"Okay, I gotta see this," Duo jumped in. "Because the last time you two went out, I had to save you. I want in."

"No," three voices said at once, making Duo lift an eyebrow. Harry glanced at his friends before turning back to the older man.

"Look, I like you enough to bring you home, but there's no way you're coming on a job with us. Shue and I can handle this."

"You think I'll get in the way?" Duo demanded.

"Honestly, yes."

"Harry's fucking shove-a-person-through-a-straw trick only works with two people," Shue grumbled. "And I ain't getting left behind to get busted because you wanted to play with the professionals."

Duo stared at the teens, his mouth hanging open slightly in surprise. These three amateurs honestly thought they were better than him! He supposed he couldn't really be upset at them, they hadn't actually seen the older man steal anything yet. Although Duo would be lying if he said it didn't bug him to have the younger men thinking that way.

Duo shook his head. "Whatever. Who you guys going after, anyway?"

"Someone named Quatre Winner," Magic answered. "He's a pretty big deal in the business world."

Duo nearly face palmed. These little brats didn't know what they were getting into.

"So what's going on tonight?" Harry asked, changing the subject. "You guys feel up for doing anything?"

"I wouldn't mind going swimming again," Magic answered. "I still have the key to the public pool."

"Sounds fun. Duo, Shue?"

Duo shrugged his consent while Shue grunted. Harry smiled at Magic. "Okay, swimming after hours it is!"

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so I promised a chapter two and here it is! Do you guys like Shue and Magic? They're two OCs of mine that I have always loved but never really found a good story for them, ya know?**

 **So if I ever get around to writing the third chapter it'll be fun with Harry and Shue trying to rob Quatre. I've actually been working on Extraordinary the last couple of days and hope to post a chapter of that story soon. Haven't been done much with Infiltrate Preventers but I'll get back to it eventually.**

 **On a personal note I just bought my very first car. Yay! I feel so... adult. Lol**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys remember me? Been a while. I know this isn't Infiltrate Preventers but at least it's something, right? Sorry for the lack of updates, just been busy with life and stuff. Well here's a chapter of a story that really has no direction or plot but is still really fun to write.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Three**

That night Harry was sitting on the roof of the public pool building waiting for his friends. He heard movement behind him and turned, smiling when Duo came sauntering up to him. They kissed in greeting before Duo threw his legs over the ledge next to him.

"Where are the other two?"

"Magic told Shue to bring the key but he forgot so they went back home to get it."

"I could just pick the lock for you guys."

Harry shrugged. "Yeah me too but Magic said no. Wants to teach Shue responsibility or something."

"Are they dating?"

"Mag and Shue?" Harry laughed. "No, they're just really good friends. Shue's got a girlfriend he thinks we don't know about and I don't really know about Magic. He kinda just spends his time taking care of people."

"How did you three meet?"

"After I ran away I lived in a homeless shelter for awhile. I met Magic there and he saw me steal something –food I think, I don't remember- and asked if I would be willing to help his friend out on a heist. I said yes and the rest is history."

Duo nodded and the two fell quiet. Harry leaned his head on the older man's shoulder, taking a deep, relaxing breath. Duo had a musky scent that Harry found intoxicating. He suddenly tensed and Harry sat up.

"You okay?" he asked.

A second later Duo sneezed, turning his head away before coughing. He coughed hard and Harry placed a soothing hand on his back. When Duo looked down at his hand, he noticed a small amount of blood. Quickly, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it away.

"Sorry, must of swallowed a bug," he laughed, turning back to Harry with a smile. The teen rolled his eyes.

"Gross." He suddenly jumped to his feet. "Gah! This is so _boring_! They should have been back by now. Shue probably didn't feel like walking all the way back here and found some way to convince Magic to stay home."

"You want to go find them?"

"Forget it," Harry muttered. "Let's just go have fun somewhere else. Wasn't all that into swimming anyway."

"Don't be cranky," Duo teased. He swung his legs around the ledge and grabbed Harry's arm, pulling him close and nuzzling his face in Harry's chest.

"I'm not cranky, I'm just bored."

"Well how about I entertain you?" Duo asked in a silky voice. He placed butterfly kisses along his jaw and Harry shivered.

"How you going to entertain me?" Harry whispered. Duo slowly began kissing down his neck. "I'm pretty picky."

"Hmm..." Duo nipped at a spot on Harry's neck and the teen jumped slightly before shivering in pleasure. "I can think of a few fun things for us to do."

His hands began to wander as Harry titled Duo's head up so they could kiss. Their tongues met in a gentle battle before Harry gave in with a sigh. He could kiss Duo all night. The older man tasted of candy and was extremely talented. He knew when to add pressure or dart his tongue out for a playful lick.

Duo chuckled, breaking Harry from the daze their kiss had lulled him into. The teen scowled. "What're you laughing at?"

"You," Duo teased. "You need to pay attention."

Harry looked down and noticed Duo's hands were resting in his pants and Harry's own hands had wandered under the other man's shirt. With a wicked grin, Duo grabbed the band of Harry's underwear and pulled back, giving him a nice solid snap. Harry jumped and yelled.

"Owe! Duo!" Harry whined.

The braided man laughed. "You know," he began seductively nuzzling his chin, "If you let me take them off, I can't do that again."

Harry blushed. "But then I wouldn't be wearing anything..."

"Hmm... sounds like a pretty good plan to me."

They met in another mind blowing kiss and Duo gently guided them to the ground. He lay Harry down and hovered over him, drinking in the sight of Harry's tousled hair and shy smile.

"I want you..." Duo whispered. Harry's face turned bright red at the words and he leaned up to kiss Duo in an effort to hide his embarrassment. He pulled away just enough to speak but so Duo couldn't see his face.

"I want you too..."

Smiling, Duo kissed him once more and two spent the night together naked on the rooftop.

*!*!*

Quatre shivered slightly as a small breeze rustled through his office. He didn't slow in his work as his attention shifted from what he was doing to the room around him. He was absolutely positive he hadn't left the window open, which meant someone had just tried to sneak in. Quatre continued typing as he subtly shifted, using the computer screen as a mirror to discover who was behind him. As soon as the blonde caught sight of the figure he whipped around lightening fast, a gun appearing from seemingly nowhere.

Quatre stopped in surprise and blinked as the man who he was currently holding at gun point merely smiled and bounced slightly on his heels.

"Duo!" Quatre explained. He quickly set his weapon aside and stood. "What in the world are you doing sneaking in through the window?"

Duo grinned and shrugged. "Didn't feel like using the door. How've you been, Q-ball?"

"Worried," Quatre scolded, placing his hands on his hips. "You haven't been in contact for over a month. Where have you been? Are you okay? Are you keeping out of trouble?"

"Around, yes, and sometimes," Duo answered cheekily.

Quatre frowned in annoyance and crossed his arms with a huff. "We've been worried about you. Heero was about to start looking if you didn't turn up on your own."

Duo nodded and sauntered into the office, plopping himself in a chair in front of Quatre's desk. He rested his feet on the mahogany wood and wrapped his arms behind his head.

"No need to send my favorite robot after me," he said. "I'm here and still alive. I've actually got a favor I want to ask."

Quatre took a seat and leaned forward. "Of course, Duo, you know I'll do anything I can for you."

Duo smiled, warmed by his friend's words. From anyone else, Duo wouldn't believe the line for a moment, but he knew Quatre meant it. The young blonde really would do anything for his friends.

"In a few hours I've got some friends who are gonna come by and rob ya. I'd like ya to let'em."

Quatre blinked. "You... you're sending someone to rob me? Duo, if you need money, you just have to ask. Though I can't imagine why you would. You have two or three off shore accounts?"

"Just two, I closed the third one a few months ago. It was too much of a hassle. But I'm not the one sending these guys after you, they picked you out on their own."

The blonde shrugged. "I have often been a target for thieves. So who are these people and why don't you want me to stop them?"

"It's a group of three kids," Duo answered. "One's really cute but a little stupid, the other is smart but lazy as shit, and the last one is what I'd picture you being if you'd never become a Gundam Pilot."

Interested, Quatre leaned back in his chair. "So you've found yourself some young friends to look after?"

Duo shrugged. "More or less. So what d'ya say, Q-ball? Pretty please let my friends rob you?"

Quatre frowned. He had no desire to let anyone rob him but if these people were friends of Duo's, then Quatre was willing to help out.

"On one condition," he said, leaning forward and holding up a single finger. "You give me your word that you'll go see Sally Po tomorrow."

Duo groaned and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Quat!"

"No. That's the deal. I'll let your friends rob me but only if you agree to go see the Doctor. If you don't, then I'll just have to mention the upcoming heist to my head of security."

Duo was scowling slightly but gave in fairly easy. Truth be told, he had been planing on going to see Sally for a while now but had been putting it off. This was just the kick in the butt he needed to go see the woman.

"Okay, deal," Duo sighed.

"Excellent!" Quatre was suddenly all smiles as he reached for his phone. "I'll call Rashid now and tell him..."

"No, no," Duo interrupted quickly. "Don't lessen your security at all! Keep everything like it is. I want to see how good these kids are. They're pretty damn arrogant."

Quatre raised an eyebrow. "Heero's working with my security team at the moment and both Wufei and Trowa will be home tonight."

Duo made a face and scratched his head. "Hmm... kid won't stand a chance against all three of them. Okay, just have Heero follow them around a little but tell him not to interfere." Duo surged forward. "And don't let him beat any of them up!"

Quatre laughed at his words. "Okay, I'll let Heero know. These kids must be very special for you to go to such lengths."

Duo's face sported a gentle smile. "At least one of them is."

*!*!*

Harry fingered the mask in his hands and scowled in distaste. Shue had put his on and was attempting to make it comfortable.

"Are these really necessary?" Harry complained.

Magic nodded. "This isn't going to be easy like before. I don't have the security codes to this house which means the cameras will be on the whole time."

"Yeah but since when have we've cared about being seen?"

"Quatre Winner is much more powerful than others we've robbed. If he gets a good look at your faces it would make our lives much more difficult. Now stop complaining and put the mask on."

Harry grumbled and did as he was told. The plastic had two large eye holes and a mouth cut out. It was hot and sticky and Harry disliked it.

"Because the cameras will still be on, you need to keep your magic to a minimum," Magic pointed out. "Only use it when necessary."

"Got it," Harry sighed. "Ready to go, Shue?"

"Yeah, let's get this shit over with already."

"Be careful!" Magic ordered.

The two waved off his concern and ran up to the large mansion. Huge iron fences surrounded the entire home, standing about seven feet high. Harry squinted through his mask and noticed a light electrical current pulsing through the top spikes.

"It's rigged," Harry informed his friend.

Shue's eyes traveled up and down the length of the fence. He pointed towards a corner. "Blind spot. You can pop us in there and the cameras won't catch it."

They walked over to the corner and Harry took Shue's hand. With a graceful twist they both appeared on the other side of the fence. Shue looked around.

"What, couldn't just pop us into the house?"

"We don't know if there's people in there or where the cameras are. I'm supposed to keep this low-key, remember?"

"How tiresome," Shue complained.

The two stayed close to the shadows as they hurried across the lawns. They pressed themselves against the mansion walls and crouched under an open window. The soft tones of a piano playing floated out to them and Harry smiled slightly. Hermione had been a pretty good piano player and he had enjoyed listening to her play on occasion. Shue shoved his shoulder and Harry nodded, crawling towards the door.

The two hid by the stone steps and Harry turned, placing a hand on the wall. He reached out with his magic and could feel the faint presence of three people. None of them possessed magic, making them difficult to sense. As far as he could tell though, they weren't in the entrance hall.

"Let's go."

"Really? Front door?" Shue whispered, following his friend.

"They're all in the side room. So long as we're quiet we'll be fine."

Harry flicked his wrist and the lock on the door opened without a problem. He reached down and touched his and Shue's boots, casting a silencing charm on them. He didn't want to silence themselves, as the two would probably still need to communicate. With that done, they slipped into the house and closed the door gently behind them.

The entryway was dark. Down the hall a light was on and soft voices were coming from one of the rooms. The two thieves hurried up the stairs, their silenced boots not making any noise on the marble floor. They reached the second floor without a problem and hurried to the third, where their target was located.

The third floor was completely empty. Shue took out a flashlight and lit it, shining it around the dark halls.

"So much for this being a problem," Shue muttered.

"Yeah, it's kinda unsettling, you know?" Harry muttered. "The way Magic was talking, I thought we'd have been fighting our way in and out by now."

Shue shrugged and the two moved down the hall. Harry paused, swearing he felt a wisp of wind on his neck. He whipped around, his hand hovering over his hidden wand, but there wasn't anything there. Harry's eyes scanned the dark behind him slowly before he relaxed and turned back to Shue.

"You're jumpy," Shue muttered.

"This is too easy," Harry muttered. "I feel like we're walking into a trap."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know..."

The two continued on, peeking into unused rooms on the way. At the end of the hall was the office they were looking for and Harry made quick work of the lock. They shut the door behind them and flicked on the light. The office was large with a desk near the window and furniture off to the side, probably used for meetings.

Shue shut his flashlight off and relaxed as he wandered towards the desk. He fingered some of the expensive art pieces sitting around but didn't attempt to steal them. Harry looked around and spotted two cameras in the room, one in the corner on the ceiling and another in a bust on the left side of the room.

"I'm taking out the cameras so I can take this stupid mask off," Harry announced. He walked over and released a small bit of magic, shorting out each camera. He pulled the plastic from his face and shook his head.

"So annoying," Shue grumbled, taking his own off as well. "Don't your people have tricks for changing faces?"

"We have charms," Harry confirmed. "But for some reason they don't fool muggle cameras. I have no clue why though."

"How inconvenient," Shue grumbled. He finally took a seat at the computer, not noticing the red light that activated underneath the desk when he sat. "Well, let's fry this thing already."

Harry nodded and reached out, touching the computer. It buzzed angrily and Harry stepped away, not wanting to ruin it completely. Shue powered up the machine and smiled.

"Blue screen of death," he grinned, resting his head in his hand. "Every techy's worst nightmare." He punched a few keys and was answered with angry beeping.

"How long will this take?" Harry asked.

"A little while. Might as well make yourself comfortable. And keep an eye on the door."

"On it," Harry muttered. He flung himself onto the couch and flicked his wrist at the door, securing it. Harry made himself comfortable and sighed. "So where'd you learn all this computer stuff?"

"School."

Harry popped his eyes open and turned, looking at Shue suspiciously. The other teen caught his gaze and rolled his eyes.

"I'm technically a genius, ya know. They used to call me some stupid child prodigy."

"Isn't that contradictory? To call someone a stupid prodigy?"

"I'm a contradictory person."

Harry laughed. He wiggled around on the couch before scanning the room again with his eyes. He didn't sense anything or see anymore cameras but the teen couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. He sat up.

"You almost done?"

"I just started!"

Harry grumbled under his breath and paced the room. He doubled checked the two cameras to make sure they weren't working.

"Stop pacing, you're annoying me!" Shue snapped.

Harry frowned. "Something's not right. This is too easy."

"You're not the one retrieving passwords from a fried computer," Shue complained.

Harry managed to stay quiet for a few minutes before his instincts became too loud to ignore. The teen walked back to the door and pressed against it, listening and reaching out with his magic for any sign of life. He turned back around and paused, catching a red light glowing dimly under the desk Shue was sitting at. With a curse, Harry ran forward.

"Hey!" Shue exclaimed as the teen pulled him away from the desk. He reached under and pulled out a camera, wires and all.

"Shit!" Shue cursed.

"We gotta go," Harry said quickly.

The two gathered their stuff and shoved their masks back on their faces. As they ran into the hall, Shue pulled out his phone and dialed Magic.

"We only got three passwords," Shue said quickly. He rattled them off. "Get moving."

"I'm going now."

They hung up and Harry stopped Shue from walking down the stairs. He cursed and pulled him back.

"There's at least two people on the second floor."

They hurried back to the office and shut the door again. Harry and Shue ran to the window and flung it open, looking out.

"Up or down?"

"Not this again," Shue complained. "Well we went down last time, so maybe we should try up?"

"You think there are cameras on the roof?"

"I guess we'll find out."

Harry stood back while Shue climbed out the window and hauled himself up the sill. Harry leaned out after him, ready to catch his friend in case he fell. Shue stood on his tiptoes and was just tall enough to reach an electrical line hanging down from the top of the building. He gave it a hard tug before jumping up and holding on tightly. The line held his weight and Shue climbed it until he was able to reach the roof edge and pull himself up.

Once he was safe, Harry slid out the window. He paused when he heard rattling on the door knob to the office. Glad his magic was keeping the people locked out, Harry quickly copied Shue's actions and clamored onto the roof. Shue was sitting there, flexing his fingers with a scowl on his face.

"You okay?"

"That line made my hands go numb," he complained.

Harry's hands were fine and he figured his magic was able to stop the weak electricity from affecting him. Harry looked around the rooftop, noticing it was large enough to land a helicopter on.

"I don't see any cameras," he muttered. Shue stopped staring at his hands and grabbed his flashlight, flicking it on. He shone if over the roof and the beam of light landed on two figures, dressed on all black, crouching low on the roof.

Not having expected that, both Harry and Shue jumped in shock. The figures ran towards them swiftly and the two teens twisted out of their paths. One followed Shue, while the other, a lean man with black hair and blue eyes, stalked after Harry.

"Don't suppose we could just skip the fighting part and go straight to us escaping, can we?"

The man attacked Harry with his fists and the teen sighed.

"Guess not."

The mystery man was fast and accurate. Harry was pushed back as he dodged the lightening fast attacks. He kept his guard up as he attempted to find a weak spot in his enemy's defense. There wasn't one and Harry realized that he if he wanted to win, he would probably have to use magic. He wasn't very good at muggle fighting.

Harry grunted as he caught a fist against his arm that was protecting his face. Shue's pained yell echoed to him and Harry made the mistake of looking away from his fight. The man took the opportunity to charge in and punch him in the stomach. Harry's breath left him and he fell to his knees.

"Owe..." he complained, holding his stomach. "What the hell are you made of? Metal?"

To Harry's surprise, the man did not press his advantage. He hesitated and that was all Harry needed to leap forward and tackle him to the ground. They wrestled for a second before Harry manged to scramble away and run towards the roof edge.

"Shue, jump!" he ordered.

Shue looked up in confusion. He was holding his flashlight like a sword to try and keep his attacker at bay.

"What?"

The teen spotted Harry grabbing their bag as he jumped over the roof's edge. Shue growled in frustration.

"Oh son of a bitch," he shouted before following his friend over the roof. The two attackers ran over to side and looked down, completely flabbergasted when they didn't see the teens anywhere. The two had vanished into the night.

Back on the street, Shue and Harry landed on the sidewalk, headfirst. Both boys cried out in pain and held their throbbing skulls for a moment before Harry forced himself to his feet.

"Come on!" He dragged Shue up and the two of them ran shakily down the road, hoping no one was following them.

*!*!*

"Owe... stop it, that hurts!"

"Quit complaining!" Magic snapped. "I can't believe you two! Letting someone beat you up like this!"

"Letting?!" Shue exclaimed. "I didn't _let_ him do anything! The guy was a freaking tank! And I don't know how he managed to see me, his hair was covering one of his eyes the whole time! Freaking asshole."

"They were pretty strong," Harry agreed, flinching slightly when Duo placed an ice pack on his head. He glanced over and noticed Duo's eyes flashing with amusement. "What's so funny?"

"You two," the man shrugged. "You were both so damn arrogant it's no surprise you got your asses kicked."

Harry scowled at him and turned away with a huff. If he had used his magic both those security guards would have been knocked out in a second. Harry hadn't had an opportunity to draw his wand though and didn't trust himself to use battle magic without it. He had less control with wandless spells and didn't want to accidentally hurt the men.

"So how'd you guys get out?" Duo asked.

"Jumped off the roof," Shue grumbled.

"Landed on our heads, obviously."

While Duo attempted to figure out how they had survived the jump, Harry turned to Magic. "So did you at least get some money for all our trouble?"

"Yes," Magic assured and gestured with his eyes to a backpack sitting near the door. "I got a lot. More than I was expecting."

"Really?"

Magic nodded, looking thoughtful. "Hmm. The ATMs let me withdraw more than I thought they would. It was really strange, I thought they had a lower limit but I guess not."

Harry and Shue shrugged, just glad the night hadn't been a waste. Duo mentally rolled his eyes. Leave it to Quatre to find a way to help the guys robbing him. He made a mental note to find out the exact amount the boys had stolen and repay his friend.

"I'm going to bed," Shue announced. "Tonight was too troublesome."

"You can't sleep if you have a concussion," Duo pointed out. Shue glared at him.

"Harry, wake me up if don't on my own."

Harry waved absently. "Got it."

The blonde stumbled to his room and Magic stood, gathering up the ice and taking it to the sink.

"You should rest too, Harry," he said. "Duo and I can sleep in the living room tonight. You should sleep with Shue in the bed."

"You okay with that?" Harry asked.

Duo raised an eyebrow. "With you sleeping with another guy or me sleeping with your friend?"

Harry rolled his eyes and stood. He leaned over and kissed his boyfriend gently. "Goodnight, Duo."

"Sleep tight," Duo teased. "Don't let the bed bugs bite... or anything else."

Harry once again rolled his eyes before wandering off to bed. Duo grabbed his ice and brought it to Magic.

"Would you like the couch?" Magic asked, ever the polite one.

Duo shook his head. "Nah, I'm gonna head out. I'll be back tomorrow night to check on them."

Magic nodded. "Have a good day then. Be careful."

"Yeah sure. And make sure to wake them up every couple of hours, just in case."

"I will."

*!*!*

The sun was rising when Duo casually entered Quatre's mansion. He waved at the early morning maids and made his way upstairs to Quatre's office. The braided man didn't bother knocking as he kicked the door in loudly with a grin. All four of his friends were sitting together, staring at Quatre's laptop.

"Hey guys!" Duo called. "So how'd they do?"

Everyone reacted to his words exactly as Duo expected. Wufei glared with annoyance, Trowa kept a stoic face, Heero shot him an annoyed look, and Quatre frowned in disapproval. Duo grinned at them all. It was good to be home.

"They were extremely full of themselves," Wufei answered. "What is the point of wearing masks if you're just going to take them off?"

"Did you get a shot of their faces?" Duo asked.

"No," Quatre answered. "The one named Harry disabled the two visible cameras but not the one under the desk. We didn't get any video but recorded their conversation. Would you care to listen?"

Duo shrugged and plopped himself next to Heero, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. He ignored the way his friend stiffened and lay his head on his shoulder with a grin. Heero turned a murderous gaze on him which Duo cheerfully ignored.

The audio played and Duo couldn't help but smile fondly at the familiar banter he'd grown used to hearing over the last month. It didn't last long before Harry spotted the camera and ripped it out.

"What's a muggle?" Wufei asked.

Duo shrugged. "I'm not sure. I think it's just slang they use. Whenever I ask they tell me if I have to ask then I am one." He glanced at Heero. "So what happened next? I heard their side, what's yours?"

Heero briefly explained the fight and how the two had jumped off the roof to avoid capture.

"We believe they managed to control their jump enough to enter one of the windows and that is how they escaped," Heero stated.

Duo nodded. "Harry could do that, no problem. I didn't think Shue was that good but I guess I could be wrong."

"You sound very attached to these boys," Quatre said, a thoughtful look on his face. "How did you meet them?"

Duo smiled at the memory of chasing Harry around the rooftops of London. He had been up there thinking when he noticed the teen running around. Duo remembered a file from the Preventers about a young thief who used the roofs of buildings to escape after a heist. Duo had followed him out of curiosity, thinking maybe he would catch the teen for his old boss just for something to do. But the moment Duo had seen Harry, he'd been intrigued. Instead of capturing him, the braided man decided to follow him and the rest was history.

"Just kinda bumped into them one day." Duo fished around in his pocket and held a plastic card out to Quatre. "Here. Whatever they took, just charge to me. Thanks for letting them get away with so much."

"I didn't let them do anything," Quatre admitted. "They managed to hack my system quite spectacularly. Wufei was monitoring my accounts and was the one who put a stop to them withdrawing money. If he wasn't here, they would have gotten a lot more."

"Really?" Duo asked, surprised. "I guess these little brats have some reason to be arrogant after all."

The door to the office opened and Sally Po walked in, carrying a briefcase full of medical equipment. Duo rolled his eyes and looked at his blonde friend.

"Really Quat? Didn't trust me to keep my promises?"

"I just wanted to be on the safe side," Quatre shrugged.

Duo turned to Sally. "Hey Sal, long time no see."

"Too long," Sally answered. "Are you two ready to go?"

"Two?"

"Heero will be accompanying us to the hospital."

Duo grumbled. "Of course he will."

They stood and Duo grinned at Quatre. "Well thanks for helping me out with this," he said. "Take whatever you need from my accounts. I'll make sure these three don't bug ya again."

"Let us know how everything goes," Quatre said quickly. "I mean it, Duo, I want to know. We're all worried about you."

"What for?" Duo laughed. "Don't you know nothing can stop the God of Death? Certainly not some fucking stomach cancer."

Quatre didn't answer as Duo waved and skipped out of the office after Sally, Heero following quietly.

* * *

 **A/N: I really enjoyed writing the scenes between Quatre and Duo. Please let my friends rob you? Okay sure! Haha, they made me laugh. I hope you liked it too.**

 **Well no idea when the next update will come or what story it will be for. Until then! Please Read and Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Infiltrate Preventers isn't cooperating but this story did! So here's another chapter in a story that kinda does and kinda doesn't have a direction.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Chapter Four**

Harry stretched lazily, coming to rest on Duo's lap. He wiggled until he was comfortable while Duo shook his head in amusement. Harry smiled with his eyes closed while his boyfriend ran his fingers through is hair.

"It's eleven in the morning," Duo said. "Shouldn't we be getting up and ready for the day?"

Harry grunted while Magic, who was standing in the kitchen, laughed.

"Harry doesn't go outside during the day and Shue's too lazy to move at anytime, day or night," Magic explained. "These two really are hopeless."

"Why don't you go out during the day?" Duo asked.

"Too many people might recognize me," Harry muttered. "Safer to stay inside now and stick to the rooftops at night."

"You worried the police might see you?"

Harry didn't get a chance to answer as the front door to their apartment opened. Shue walked in, his hands stuck deep in his pockets and yawning widely. He kicked the door shut behind and suddenly stopped. Harry had sat bolt upright on the couch, his jaw hanging open, while Magic froze in the middle of getting a glass of water.

Shue blinked and looked between the two before speaking. "Mag, your glass is overflowing."

Magic hurriedly shut the water off and set the cup down. "Are you okay?" he demanded.

Harry jumped from the couch and ran to his friend. "Are you hurt?"

The teen looked between the two. "I'm fine. You two are acting weird."

"Shue... it's not even noon yet," Magic said gently.

Shue frowned before laughing lightly. "Oh, that's why you two are being weird. I'm fine. I wanted to meet a guy and he said he could only meet early."

"So then you're okay?" Harry demanded. "You just... woke up early? You're not hurt or in trouble or something?"

Shue shook his head. "I'm fine, promise."

Slowly, Magic and Harry relaxed. They still watched their friend closely for any signs of injury or distress. The blonde brushed past the two and took a seat next to Duo on the couch. He nodded politely at the man who returned the gesture.

"So you two gonna stand there gawking all day or do you wanna see what I got?" Shue asked.

Magic and Harry snapped out of their daze and nodded, sitting on the floor in front of him. He pulled out a small sandwich bag filled with dried up plants. They peered at it.

"Is that weed?" Duo asked curiously.

Shue nodded. "Figured since everyone already refers to me as a stoner I might as well get stoned for real. You guys wanna try?"

Harry shrugged. "Sure." He held is hand out and took the bag. "Did you get any papers?"

Shue pulled out the small wrappers and handed them over. Harry opened the bag and pulled out one of the larger buds and began to break it up.

"Since when do you do drugs?" Magic asked, frowning at the weed.

"I just wanted to try it," Shue shrugged.

"Weed's hardly a drug anyway," Duo pointed out. "It's not addictive or harmful."

"People in Amsterdam love it," Harry added.

Magic still looked at the green plant disapprovingly but he was also curious. Many of the street children he worked with laughed at him for never having smoked before. Perhaps trying it would help him connect to the boys and girls he was tying to help.

Harry finished rolling the joint and held it out to Shue. "Got a light?"

Duo produced a lighter from his pocket and so the joint was passed to him. He lit it carefully before taking a long drag and passing it to Harry.

"You know, the first time I tried this, I didn't actually get high," Harry said, taking a hit. "I hope it works this time."

"You don't get high your first time?" Magic asked in surprise. He took the joint from Shue and looked at it curiously.

"Some people don't," Duo answered. "I've got a buddy who swears it's impossible for him to get high. Says he's got too much control over his mental facilities or something."

"Hah," Harry laughed, taking the joint as it made it's ways around the circle again. "I'll bet I could get him some stuff to make him lose control."

"Hey, you keep your insane shit to yourself," Shue said. "Seriously, I felt like trying some harmless weed, not getting wasted and waking up halfway across the world having done god-knows-what."

Harry laughed again. "You wouldn't make it halfway across the world. You'd wake up before then. ...Probably."

Magic coughed harshly before handing the joint back to Duo. "You don't get off if you don't cough," Duo teased. He coughed a second later, a pleased smile lighting his face as he be began to feel light. Duo leaned back into the couch, letting his body relax.

"So you've done harder drugs?" Duo asked, looking at Harry curiously.

"I tried something –I don't remember what it was now- once and it was not a fun trip. I woke up... somewhere with no idea of how I got there."

"What'd you do? Ecstasy? Acid? Some sort of hallucinogenic?"

Shue snorted. "As if he would waste his time with our petty 'muggle' drugs."

Harry nodded. "They were not muggle and I will not be doing them again, that's for sure."

"What's muggle?" Duo asked.

"Like you and me," Shue answered. "We're muggles. Harry here, is some sort of freak and we're really not sure what the hell Magic is."

"Weed makes you pretty chatty, you know?" Harry accused, annoyed at being called a freak. He supposed it was better than Shue blurting out he was a wizard. Harry and Duo had only been together for two months and hadn't had the "magic is real" conversation yet.

"And smiley," Magic added. "It's weird and you're freaking me out. Stop smiling."

Shue tried to make a straight face but ended up grinning wider and snickering at nothing. His strange behavior made Harry giggle quietly too.

"Let's put on some music," Duo suggested.

He got up and turned on the small radio positioned on top of the TV. A soft rock song echoed through the speakers and Shue ordered Harry to show him how to roll a joint. The three friends spent the next twenty minutes trying to complete their task but were constantly distracting themselves and laughing at nothing. Duo shook his head at them and decided to hunt around for some snacks.

Just as Shue finally completed rolling a second joint, Duo appeared in the living room with two large bowls of chips. The teens descended on them with gusto, exclaiming how wonderful they were. They giggled, shoving their faces with junk food while Duo silently laughed at them.

An old song came on the radio and Harry sat up. "Oh sweet Merlin!"

"What? What is it?" Shue and Magic demanded.

"This song! It's like... it's like the soundtrack of my _life_!"

Duo burst out laughing. The other two shushed him and stared intensely at the radio as the vocals echoed from the bad speakers.

" _I'm just a soul whose intentions are good, oh Lord please don't let me be misunderstood._ "

"That _is_ so you!" Magic exclaimed. "Your soul _is_ good!"

"And you _are_ just misunderstood!" Shue agreed.

Harry nodded. "Right?"

Duo could barely breath, he was laughing so hard. Large teardrops gathered at the corners of his eyes as he struggled to control himself. The song ended and the next one to come on sang about rolling another joint.

"Do you think he's talking to us?" Magic asked, wide eyed as he stared at the radio.

"Probably not," Duo snickered.

"Just in case," Shue said loudly. "We should totally roll another one. Just to be safe."

Harry nodded and reached for the last of the weed. Duo just shook his head. He hadn't laughed this much in a long, long time. These three really were good souls.

*!*!*

Harry stretched and yawned, trying to wake up. He grumbled angrily as the morning sun peered over top the buildings and blinded him for a moment. With a sigh, Harry flopped back down on the roof, accidentally hitting Duo in the chest. The man jolted awake and coughed harshly.

"I'm sorry!" Harry exclaimed, suddenly very awake. Duo waved him off as he turned away, trying to take deep breaths in between his coughs.

"Good morning to you too," he wheezed out. He cleared his throat one more time before wiping his mouth. Before Harry had a chance to see, Duo quickly hid his hand under their blanket. He discreetly rubbed the blood he had just coughed up away and made a mental note to take the blanket home to wash it.

"I'm sorry," Harry repeated. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

Both sat up, naked as the day they were born. Harry turned and hunted down their pants, tossing Duo's his. Once they were both fully dressed, Harry stood, stretching. He looked over the town that was already filling with early morning people heading to work.

"Great, I've gotta walk back home in the daytime," Harry complained.

"Awe, my poor night owl might actually be exposed to sun. Make sure you don't burst into flames."

Harry rolled his eyes and spotted a cafe that had just turned its open sign on. He smiled at Duo.

"You like coffee, right? I remember you saying you like the dark roasted stuff."

Duo was touched that Harry had remembered such a small detail about him. He honestly didn't remember telling the teen that.

"I do."

"Okay, I'll go get us a drink and then we can head back home. You're coming back to my place, aren't you?"

Duo was acutely aware of the blood he had just spit up. "Maybe, we'll see."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Shove off. You always end up at my apartment anyways, so you might as well just come home with me."

Harry didn't wait for a response as he jumped from the rooftop and landed on the street below. A few muggles jumped in surprise but Harry just smiled and acted like he had been standing there the whole time. Eventually they shook their heads and went back to their morning papers. In a good mood, Harry crossed the street and strolled into the cafe. It was almost completely empty except for one worker and a blonde with her back to the door.

Harry walked up to the counter and the girl working greeted him with a pleasant smile. "Hi! Welcome Joey's Cafe! What can I get you today?"

"Can I get a hot chocolate made with milk and my friend likes dark roast coffee, so whatever you've got like that is fine."

As the clerk nodded and turned to fill the order, Harry heard a gasp. He turned in confusion at the noise and froze, his eyes wide. The woman who had been in the cafe was none other than Hermione. She had grown her hair long and found some way to straighten it. Harry hadn't seen his friend in two years, not since he had declared he was leaving the wizarding world for good.

"Harry?" Hermione whispered, her voice shocked. "It really is you!"

He stepped back as she drew closer. A look of hurt flashed across her face and Harry instantly felt guilty.

"Er... uh, hi, Hermione," Harry said awkwardly. "How've you been?"

"Where have you been?" Hermione demanded, ignoring his question. "What happened to you? We tried to find but you just vanished without a trace!"

"Yeah, anti-tracking charms," Harry muttered. "They work pretty well."

"Are you alright? The last thing we heard was you and Ginny broke up and then you were gone."

"I left a note."

Hermione's face turned red and Harry knew he was about to get lectured. He couldn't help but smile very slightly at his upset friend. He hadn't realized how much he missed her.

"A note!" she screeched. "After nearly a decade of friendship, growing up together, surviving a war together, all you leave is a note?"

"I was pretty pissed after Ginny..."

"You think I care for once second that you and Ginny broke up? Anyone with half a brain could see _that_ relationship was about to end. But instead of, oh I don't know, acting like an _adult_ you instead chose to act like a child and just run away? All because you broke up with your girlfriend?"

"I didn't run away because of Ginny!"

"We've been worried for two years!" Hermione suddenly screamed. The clerk making the drinks had stopped to watch the drama with wide eyes. "For two years we had no idea what happened to you or where you were. You just vanished and told us not to look for you. I mean, are you serious, Harry? Did you honestly think we wouldn't search? You're my best friend!" She scowled. "Or at least, you were."

Harry flinched at her harsh words and wanted nothing more than to run away again. This was why he didn't come out during the day. He didn't care if the muggle police found him but with how Harry's luck was, he would run into someone from his past. Too many people knew him.

"Well?" Hermione demanded. Harry looked at her and noticed tears in her eyes. His guilt tripled. "Are you going to explain yourself? Are you going to say anything?"

Harry was spared from answering by the sound of another voice that filled him with relief.

"I don't think he owes you any explanation he doesn't want to give," Duo stated coldly. He had gotten bored waiting up on the roof and had come down to see what was taking so long. Duo was glad that he had. Harry was staring at the unknown girl in near terror. Whoever she was, Harry didn't want to see her.

Hermione frowned at Duo. That frown deepened further when Duo placed a hand on the back of Harry's back and stared at her with cold eyes.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Hermione, this Duo, Duo this Hermione... she's someone that I used to know."

The girl's eyes locked onto him and Hermione felt herself lose the battle with her tears. "Is that all I am to you now? Someone you used to know? Well fine Harry Potter, if that's how you feel..."

Hermione turned to grab her things and Harry felt his heart constrict painfully. "Hermione I didn't mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?" she yelled, turning around with her arms full of books.

"I just... I have a new life..."

She laughed bitterly. "Oh I see how it is, got yourself a new home," she scowled at Duo, "a new _boyfriend,_ and suddenly there's no room for your friends. I saved your life!"

"I saved yours a lot more," Harry muttered.

Hermione's face turned red. "Well excuse me! We can't all be as great as you, oh amazing Chosen One." She stormed past them, tears falling down her cheeks. Hermione paused at the door to the cafe, hoping that Harry would reach out and stop her from leaving. But the teen hung his head and kept his back to her. With an angry sob, Hermione ripped the door open and fled onto the street.

Duo placed a hand on Harry's shoulder but he shook it off. "I'm going home," he said.

"I'll take you," Duo offered, linking their hands together. This time Harry didn't pull away and instead sighed, resting his head on Duo's shoulder.

"This is why I don't come out in the daytime," Harry whispered bitterly. Duo just nodded.

The two left the coffee shop without bothering to get their drinks. Duo held Harry's hand as they walked silently down the empty street. Running around the rooftops was nearly impossible during the daytime because of the sun. It was blindingly bright when it reflected off the windows and roofs and made everything extremely hot.

Duo glanced at his boyfriend with worried eyes. He squeezed his hand but Harry didn't lift his head to look at him.

"You wanna talk about it?" Duo asked.

The teen shrugged slightly and sighed, looking forward. "I told you I ran away from my past. Guess I didn't run far enough."

"Doesn't matter how far you run," Duo said. "It always catches ya eventually. If you want to talk, I'll listen."

Harry didn't answer and they finished the walk back to his apartment silently. The two rounded the corner and slowed to a stop in confusion. Police cars, emergency vehicles, and firetrucks had the entire street shut down. People were crowded on the street, standing on their tip toes and craning their necks to watch the drama unfolding before them. Harry felt his heart begin to speed up as he stretched his neck and discovered whatever was happening was focused on his apartment building.

"Shit!" Duo cursed. He tugged Harry behind a dumpster and the teen complained loudly. "You're wanted criminal," Duo reminded him.

"Shue and Magic..." Harry realized. "They found us? But how?"

"Don't know. I'll go see what I can find out. Wait here."

Duo pinned Harry with a hard stare and the teen reluctantly agreed. He watched anxiously as the braided man vanished into the crowd of people and disappeared behind an ambulance. Biting his lip, Harry looked up and gathered his magic, jumping up the walls of the building he was next to and crawling onto the roof. Keeping low, Harry peered over the edge and looked around.

In the center of the ring of police, Harry spotted one of his friends. Magic was handcuffed to a police car. He was trying to talk to the officers around him but was being ignored. Harry watched as his friend tugged futilely at his bonds before hanging his head in defeat. Looking around, Harry didn't see any sign of Shue.

An armored car rolled up and a squad of men in thick bullet proof gear with shields poured out of the back. They lined up in front of the building, their guns armed and ready. Terrified for his other friend, Harry stood up from the ledge. Just as he did, Duo scrambled over the top, frowning deeply at him.

"They've got Magic—"

"I know," Duo interrupted. "Shue's stuck inside the apartment. They say he's kidnapped a little girl, hence all the armed officers. They're treating it like a hostage situation."

"A what?" Harry exclaimed. "Shue would never kidnap someone!"

"I know," Duo agreed. "Look, I've got some powerful friends in the Preventers. I called them to come help out and take over. When they get here we can talk to Shue and get this straightened out. So long as he doesn't do anything stupid—"

Duo didn't get a chance to finish as screaming voices rose up from the street followed by a single gunshot. Harry whipped around, his heart stopping. The window to their apartment had been shot out and the curtain flapped in the breeze. Without a thought to the consequences, Harry vanished from the rooftop and apparated into his apartment.

"Shue!" Harry yelled.

The apartment was torn apart. Their couch had been flipped over and a single hole was in bottom, presumably from the bullet. Shards of broken glass were scattered everywhere and Harry waved his hand, putting up a barrier on the window. The sound of crying met his ears and he hurried into the kitchen, peering around the island counter.

Shue was sitting on the floor, covered in dust. For once his face wasn't stoic. His blue eyes were wide and he was trying desperately to shush the wailing toddler on his lap. The little girl was clinging to him fearfully. Her pretty blonde hair was done into two braided pigtails and her tearful blue eyes matched Shue's perfectly.

"Harry!" Shue exclaimed when he saw his friend. Relief filled his body. "You've got to get us outta here!"

"What happened?" Harry demanded. He knelt down and reached out for the sobbing girl. Harry touched her forehead gently with the tip of his wand and the girl stopped crying. She stared at Harry with large, curious eyes.

"What'd you do?"

"It's a spell to sooth children," Harry answered. "Now tell me what's happening! They're saying you kidnapped someone!"

"Kidnapped?!" Shue exclaimed. "I didn't kidnap her! She's my little sister!"

Harry stared at the child in surprise. There was a clear family resemblance between the two and Harry had briefly wondered if Shue didn't have a love child he had never told them about.

"Sister?"

Shue shook his head. "I have a brother, Devin, he's fourteen, and this is Kiki. I met Devin at the park earlier today so I could see them and hang out with Kiki. I just... I missed, them, ya know?"

"So how'd you end up with police everywhere thinking you kidnapped her?"

Shue shrugged. "I just..." he sighed. "Devin's got a girlfriend but he's not allowed to see her, father's orders. So I said I would take Kiki for the day and he could go meet with her. All I did was bring here here. I don't know why the cops are out there or why they think I kidnapped her." He looked up at Harry with worried eyes. "I have no way to get a hold of my brother and find out if he's okay or what's going on. I know as soon as I walk out that door they're going to arrest me and I'll be finished. I've already got two strikes and kidnapping is pretty huge."

Harry nodded. Outside the two could hear the police yelling and ordering the crowds to move back. Harry knew they were preparing to make their move.

"We've got to get you out here."

Shue sat up. "If I tell you my family's address, can you apparate her home?"

Harry shook his head. "She's too little. It's dangerous to apparate with kids. We'll have to escape some other way."

"We can't get to the roof," Shue pointed out. "As soon as I got near the window they tried to shoot me."

Harry frowned in thought. He could apparate Shue to safety without a problem but that would leave the little girl alone. Harry knew the police would be busting down the door anytime and would take care of her but doubted he'd be able to convince Shue to leave his sister behind. Not to mention he didn't want to traumatize the toddler anymore by vanishing into thin air and leaving her scared and alone.

"Come on," Harry suddenly ordered. He tugged Shue's sleeve and guided them into the back of the apartment.

Their bedroom was empty of furniture except for a mattress on the floor. Harry flicked his wand and the bed hovered in the air before standing up straight in front of the wall. Harry pushed his friend behind it. The room had no windows because it was connected to the building next door.

"I'm going to blow out the wall and we're going to run this way," Harry explained. "Cover her ears and stay behind the mattress."

Shue did as he was told, tucking Kiki deeper into his arms. Harry stood behind the mattress and waved his wand, yelling, _"Reducto!"_ The brick wall was blown apart loudly and Kiki began to cry again. As the dust cleared, Harry waved his wand to be able to see better. The hole led to the next building and someone's now ruined apartment, which was thankfully empty because the police had evacuated it.

"Let's go," Harry ordered.

Carefully the two boys crawled over the rubble and ran through the apartment. The flung open the door and hurried through the hallway. The entire building was empty and Harry led the way upstairs. They stopped at a window and crouched low to peer outside. The officers had begin to storm their apartment building.

"If we can make it to the roof without being seen we can get out of here," Harry said.

They quickly ran to the top of the building and Harry waved his wand, unlocking the door to the roof. Keeping low, Harry and Shue crawled to the edge and looked out. Police were still everywhere but luckily no one was looking up. Harry turned and squinted against the sunlight reflecting off the rooftops. He knew this path like the back of his hand.

"If we can make it to the end of the street, we can climb down and get out of here," Harry said quickly. "We'll take your sister right back home and then haul ass outta there." Shue nodded in agreement and Harry turned to him seriously. "Give me your sister."

Shue froze, instinctively clutching the child closer to him. "What?"

"Shue, you can't run and jump while carrying her," Harry explained. "You're not good enough at this. Give her to me. I won't let anything happen to her, I _promise_."

The blonde hesitated for a moment before nodding. He gently pried Kiki's fingers from his shirt and passed the girl over to Harry. Immediately the toddler burst into tears and Shue did his best to soothe her."

"Forget it," Harry said over her crying. "We gotta go."

Shue kissed Kiki's head once before crawling halfway back the roof. Taking a deep breath, he stood and ran, making the jump across the two buildings. Harry gathered his magic and jumped after him. The two ran over the roofs, Harry keeping a tight hold of the little girl in his arms. They reached the end of the street without being spotted and Harry jumped over the edge, using his magic to slow the fall. He landed with a jarring thud and waited as Shue climbed down a fire escape next to him. They peered around the corner and when the coast was clear, hurried down the street.

"Thank God no one ever looks up," Shue muttered, taking his sister back from Harry.

"You can say that again," Harry agreed.

*!*!*

Magic sat in an interrogation room down at the local police station. He crossed his arms and kept his mouth firmly shut as he glared as harshly as he could at the officers before him. The detective, dressed in a cheap suit, and a uniformed office, scowled at him.

"Look, you guys obviously had explosives in the apartment, because the wall was blown out. Your partner has left you to rot here, so you don't owe him anything. Just tell us some of your favorite hiding places. Where would your partner take a girl?"

Magic refused to speak. Harry must have gotten home and apparated in, helping Shue to escape. It was the only explanation because Magic was absolutely positive they didn't have explosives of any sort in their home.

"You're in a world of hurt, kid," the officer growled. "We've got your file here. You ran away two years ago and have been working the street ever since. Says here that you're seventeen. That's old enough to be tried as an adult. Help us find your partner and we'll see if we can't cut you a deal and maybe see if you can be treated like a minor."

Magic just continued to glare, refusing to speak. His mismatched eyes flashed with anger but he refused to be goaded into anything. He wasn't sure what he was going to do but he knew that making a deal with these men would not be in his best interest.

The door to the room suddenly opened and another officer came in. "Sir! We've just received word that the missing girl has been returned to her parents!"

"What?" the detective asked in shocked.

"The girl was returned to her mother exactly ten minutes ago. There's no sign of the kidnapper. The family is taking her to the hospital now to check her for injuries."

The detective and officers left without a word and Magic sighed in relief. He rested his head in his hands and took, deep, calming breaths. He sent up a prayer, hoping that Shue and Harry were okay. Two hours ticked by painfully slow before someone finally remembered that Magic was still there and came in. To his immense surprise, Duo walked in, swinging a key around his finger.

"Got you sprung, kid," he announced. "Now let's blow this place and go find the other two before something else bad happens."

He unlocked the cuffs around Magic's wrists and the teen stood in confusion. "How did you...?"

"I've got friends in real high places," Duo answered cryptically. "Let's go."

He grabbed Magic's arm and dragged him quickly through the hallways. When they entered the main station, officers turned to glare but one look from Duo had them returning to their work without a word. Magic caught Duo looking up at a man and woman talking to the lead detective. The woman had her hair done in a tight bun and wore a no-nonsense expression. The man looked to be about Duo's age with messy black hair and blue eyes. He spotted Duo and frowned Duo led Magic out.

Once outside, Magic pulled free from the older man. "How did you do that?" he demanded. "That woman, she's the Head of the Preventers. She's one of the most powerful women in the world! How do you know someone like that? And how do you know her well enough to call in a personal favor like this?"

Duo stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. "You got a way to contact the other two?"

Annoyed at not being answered, Magic crossed his arms and glared. Duo glared right back and Magic faltered slightly.

"We need to find the other two, now," Duo growled. "So you got their numbers or what?"

"The police took my phone."

Duo reached into his pocket and tossed Magic an evidence bag filled with his personal belongings. He reached in and quickly turned his phone on.

"Tell them to go to this address," Duo ordered. "It's a safe place."

Magic hesitated for a moment before doing as he was told. While they waited for the conformation text from Shue or Harry, Duo flagged down a taxi and shoved Magic in. They stayed quiet as the taxi took them to a nicer part of town filled with rich shops and well-dressed people. They stopped in front of a building with a doorman and Duo ushered Magic out before paying the cab driver.

The doorman opened the door open for them, nodding politely to "Mr. Maxwell." Duo stepped into an elevator and punched a serious of buttons. The doors shut with a ding and the the man sighed as he leaned back on the wall.

"Your last name's Maxwell?" Magic asked, a little weary. The name Duo Maxwell was very familiar to him, he just couldn't quite place it. Duo grunted in response.

The elevator opened into a large flat that had enough floor space to fit two of Magic's apartments easily. It was pristine, not a single speck of dirt or dust anywhere. Everything looked brand new, like it had never been touched before. If Magic didn't know any better, he would say this place was on display to be sold, not Duo's home.

"So this is your home?" Magic asked. He spotted the kitchen and casually wandered over to it.

Duo shrugged. "This is my address, don't know exactly if I would call it a home."

Duo turned around just as Magic grabbed a knife from a knife block on the counter. He held it high in the braided man's face.

"Who are you?" he demanded. "I want answers!"

"Put that thing down before you hurt yourself," Duo ordered.

"No. You're going to answer my questions," Magic snapped. "How did you get me out of jail? How do you know the top people of the Preventers." Magic's eyes suddenly widened. "You're a Preventer," he realized. "Is that why you found Harry? No one just goes running around the roofs like he does. You were up there looking for him, weren't you?"

Duo didn't answer and Magic scowled, feeling his anger grow. He stepped forward, keeping the knife raised.

"Did they send you to catch him or something? Find the thief and arrest him? Have you just been hanging around us long enough to go get invited on a job and then get us caught red handed?"

Duo frowned and moved forward swiftly. With one shot to the wrist, he disarmed the startled teenager and caught the knife. Twirling it harmlessly, Duo returned it to the knife block on the counter.

"I'm a retired Preventer," Duo explained tersely. "And no, it was never my intention to arrest you or Harry. We really did just meet by chance."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Magic demanded.

"Why didn't you tell me that you're a runaway heir to millions?"

Magic flushed slightly. There was a knock on the window and the two turned, seeing Shue and Harry standing on the terrace. Duo waved them inside and they entered.

"Nice place," Shue muttered, looking around. His hands were shoved deep into his pockets and he was hunched slightly, as if protecting himself. Magic ran to his side immediately.

"Are two okay?" he demanded.

"No permanent damage," Harry assured. "You okay? How'd you get away from the cops?"

"Apparently Duo used his connections with the Preventers to get me released," Magic answered, glancing at the braided man.

"I want answers," Duo stated coldly.

"So do we," Harry responded. "I don't trust liars or cops."

"I didn't lie."

"Withholding the truth is the same thing!"

Duo glared at him. "Then what does that make you? Vanishing right before my eyes? And I know you three didn't have explosives in that place so how did you blow the wall?"

"How do we know you won't just go tell your Preventer buddies everything we say?" Shue demanded.

Duo glared at him. "God you little bastards are arrogant. I just got your asses out of so much trouble by calling my friends. You were about to be added to the most wanted list and Magic was on his way to a prison where they lock you up and throw away the key."

"Stop," Harry ordered. "Duo, we appreciate that, we really do, but you have to understand..." he looked at his boyfriend seriously. "My secret is huge. It's bigger than you know and it's a big responsibility to know it. I don't want to tell you if you're not ready."

Duo stepped forward and grabbed Harry's chin firmly. "My secrets are just as heavy. I love you enough to know yours, do you love me enough to know mine?"

Harry smiled tiredly, resting a hand on the fingers holding his chin. "Yes."

Duo nodded. "Good. Mag, there's drinks in the cupboard, make us something and then let's all sit down and talk."

Harry and Shue nodded as they followed Duo to the large couch in the center of the room. Magic pouted slightly as he made his way to the kitchen.

"Why am I making drinks in your house?" he demanded. "Isn't it the host's responsibility to serve their guests?"

"I would prefer if you made it, Mag," Shue called. "I don't feel like being accidentally poisoned."

"Yeah, you do know that Duo can't even boil water without blowing something up, right?"

Duo looked offended. "I can so. I'll have you know I'm a champion at boiling water."

The teens stared at him disbelief.

"It's when I try to add something _to_ the water that shit goes wrong."

The three laughed and Magic made drinks for everyone without further complaint. Once he was done, Duo sat across from the other three and watched them seriously.

"I used to be a Gundam Pilot and Preventer," he stated without preamble.

"I'm a wizard," Harry declared.

Duo blinked before raising an eyebrow. "Alright you win, you go first."

* * *

 **A/N: So what do you guys think? These three are certainly lucky that Duo's around to save their butts all the time. And they don't even know it! Well, I suppose they will now after everything is explained.**

 **So remember guys, reviews are inspiring! And the more detailed the reviews, the more inspired I become and therefor the quicker you get more story! I believe this is what they call a symbiotic relationship. Could be wrong. Whatever.**

 **Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Look at me, posting stuff after 89 days (yikes!) of silence. It's not IP but at least it's something, right?**

 **So everyone really liked the last line of the previous chapter. I'm glad it amused so many of you.**

 **Here's the next chapter! It gets pretty heavy so I hope you all enjoy.**

 **Chapter Five**

The elevator dinged and Magic looked up as Duo walked in, carrying a few bags of groceries. He set them on the counter with a thud, turning to frown at the TV. It was a playing some kids cartoon while Harry and Shue stared at it mindlessly. They were both in the exact same positions they had been an hour ago when Duo had left to get food. As he rarely stayed in the flat, there was next to nothing to eat.

"Thank you," Magic said, getting his attention. The man turned to see the teen digging through the bags.

"No prob. Should we leave them like that?"

Magic shrugged, a small smile on his lips. "You're the one who let them turn it on."

The volume on the TV suddenly increased and the cartoon was shut off in favor of the nightly news.

"In other news, Baker's Street has finally been re-opened to residents as the police have completed their investigation. Earlier today the entire street was shut down as a police discovered a three year old girl, Kiki Gallagher, had been kidnapped. The kidnapper was identified as Shue Gallagher, the oldest son of the Gallagher family who was disowned by his father nearly three years ago. The girl was returned to her family after being missing for five hours and police have confirmed that Shue Gallagher is dead. Minister David Gallagher refused to comment at this time, stating he wanted to be at home with his family."

The TV shut off and Magic and Harry stared at Shue, who's jaw was hanging open.

"So... congratulations on dying," Harry said lightly. "I've been there before. It's rising from the grave that's the weird part."

"Magic or no magic, you are not going to convince me you rose from the dead," Duo spoke with annoyed tone.

Harry titled his head back to look at him. "I told you it was a hard pill to swallow."

The older man glared and made a sound of disbelief. "Shue's not dead, I just had him erased."

"Erased?" three voices echoed, looking at Duo.

"Yeah, my buddy Heero took care of it. We forged a death certificate for Shue and destroyed any evidence that he is still alive. You don't have a ID number, a last name, anything electronic anymore. Basically, we made sure you were dead and then took you off the system."

"Why?" Shue whispered.

Duo raised an eyebrow. "This was your third strike. Your father is a very powerful politician and was planning on mounting a man hunt for you. My guess is he would play it off as finding the person who harmed his family and making an example out of you."

"Tough on crime," Shue muttered. "It was always one of his big campaign promises. He would want to show that he is the perfect candidate for justice. He would even put his own family behind bars if they broke the laws."

"Exactly," Duo confirmed.

"And I thought my father was cruel," Magic muttered.

"Anyways, we basically killed you off and now your free."

"Free?"

"Yup. You can be whoever you want. Everyone in the world thinks your dead so you've got no record or even an identity. If the police tried to run your prints right now they'd come up with nothing. You're a blank slate."

Shue blinked at him, still in a state of disbelief. He turned to stare at the TV. "So what do I do now?"

"Whatever you want," Duo shrugged. "I can make you a new identity if you want. A new name, new history, the works, or you can just sit back and fade away. It's your choice."

Shue didn't glance at them as he stood up. "I'll have to get back to you." He vanished down the hall to the guest bedroom. Harry watched him go worriedly.

"I'm going to go sit with him," Magic announced. "I don't want him to be alone right now."

He hurried after his friend. Duo grabbed a soda and sat down next to Harry on the couch. Harry stared at him curiously.

"So erasing someone's identity is a terrorist trick, right?"

Duo nodded. "I can't tell you how many times I killed and recreated myself."

"Is Duo Maxwell your real name?"

"Duo is the name I gave myself after my only friend, Solo, died. I called myself Duo so I could live for the both of us. Maxwell came from the only adult to ever show me kindness in my life. So it may not be the name I was born with, but it is my real name."

Harry nodded and leaned against his arm, stealing his soda. He took a sip. "Can you make me disappear too?"

The man snorted. "A couple hours ago I would have said yes."

Harry smiled at him. "So you believe in magic now?"

"Kinda hard not to after all the shit you showed me." Duo glanced at his coffee table wearily. Harry had transfigured it into a puppy for a few minutes to show Duo that magic was real. "So magic is real and your people are hidden from the rest of the world."

"Yeah and we need to stay that way," Harry said seriously. "You can't tell anyone about me, Duo."

"Yeah right, you'll erase my memories and vanish on me."

"Not to mention no one would believe you. They'd lock you up as crazy and throw away the key."

"And doesn't that just sound fun," Duo muttered. He took his drink back, frowning when it was almost completely gone. He shot Harry a look but the boy just smiled and turned on the couch. He held his hand out and other soda came flying from the kitchen. Harry turned and handed it to Duo.

"...No wonder you're so lazy."

Harry laughed.

*!*!*

With their apartment destroyed, the three teens decided to move in with Duo. They reasoned he had plenty of space, more than enough money, and now that he was part of their "group" he could contribute by providing the housing.

"What the hell do you three contribute?" Duo demanded when they informed him of their decision.

"Well I'm the brains," Magic pointed out.

"I'm the magic. No to be confused with Magic, who is also magic, but not as magic as me."

Duo rolled his eyes and looked at Shue. "And you?"

"I bring the fun," he deadpanned.

Harry and Magic laughed and even Duo cracked a smile. "Fine, I guess you three can stay. Not like I don't have the extra space."

Harry smiled and placed a soft kiss on his boyfriend's lips. "It's cute that you thought you had a choice on this."

He laughed loudly when Duo stared at him with annoyed disbelief.

It was interesting to Harry, how easily everyone slipped back into their normal pattern of behavior. Within a few days, Harry and Duo were running around the rooftops of London again, Magic was back on the street trying to help the less fortunate, and Shue was his normal lazy self, vanishing to do his own thing every so often.

After nearly two weeks of living with Duo, Harry was sitting on the rooftop across the street from Duo's flat. He could see into Duo's apartment clearly and sat on the edge of the building, dangling his legs over the side. Duo was standing in the living room, his arms crossed and scowling just slightly. He didn't appear to be angry, just annoyed. Across from his were two people Harry didn't know personally but he did recognize.

The blonde who had his hands on his hips and a deep frown on his face was Quatre Winner. Harry recognized him from when they had robbed him. The other person was the bodyguard with dark hair who had beaten him up. At first, Harry had panicked and worried Duo was about to get into trouble because of their actions, but then he noticed that Duo was not on the defensive. In fact, he was extremely relaxed around the two men. Like they were all old friends.

As Harry watched, the blonde stepped forward and placed a hand on Duo's shoulder, his expression softening. Duo seemed to falter for a moment before jerking away. He spoke something and shook his head, making the blonde take on a sad expression. After a few moments of what Harry assumed was awkward silence, the two left, both glancing at Duo worriedly one more time before shutting the door behind them.

Harry waited until the two were out of the building and on the street. He ran to the next rooftop and jumped closer to the ground, watching them get into a black car curiously. Harry's heart suddenly stopped when the dark haired man looked right up at him. His blues caught Harry and the teen jerked back in surprise. He quickly moved into the shadows and didn't come out until he was sure they were gone.

Once it was safe, Harry returned to Duo's flat, landing silently on the balcony and letting himself in. Duo was in the kitchen, an empty shot glass in front of him. He turned to Harry with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Hey Robin. You're back early."

Harry rolled his eyes at the nickname. "Got bored. Running around isn't as fun without you anymore."

This time Duo's smile was genuine. "Let me get my coat and I'll come with you."

Harry nodded as Duo walked past him. He eyed the empty shot glass. "Are you okay, Duo?"

Surprised, Duo turned to him. He followed Harry's gaze. "Oh that, I just felt like a shot. Occasionally I do like to drink."

"You didn't answer me," Harry accused.

Duo slid on his coat. He stepped up to his young lover and placed a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Let's go. I need to burn off some energy."

Harry didn't press the matter further as he followed his boyfriend to the balcony. Whatever was wrong with Duo, it didn't matter. Harry was the most powerful wizard of the age. Whatever problems his boyfriend was having, he would fix them. When Duo was ready to talk, Harry would listen and then do whatever was needed to fix things. Until then, Harry smiled and playfully pulled the long braid in front him. Indignant, Duo turned and they began to chase each other through the night.

*!*!*

Living with Duo was different than Harry had expected. While it was true that Duo had spent most of his time at Harry's old apartment, he did leave every so often. Now however, Duo was around twenty-four seven. It made Harry happy, always knowing where Duo was and being able to just shout and his boyfriend would appear. He knew he was being silly but he felt like a teenager with a first crush.

However because of his constant proximity, Harry began to notice something off about Duo. His boyfriend would disappear into the bathroom with regularity and would run the water or shower for a few minutes before coming out, looking slightly out of it. He was also paler than normal, which worried Harry.

Currently, Harry stood at the door to the bedroom he and Duo shared. His boyfriend had gone to take a power nap nearly three hours ago. Harry considered waking him but decided against it. Duo hadn't been well for the last few days. Instead, Harry covered him with a blanket and kissed his forehead. His heart tightened with worry when Duo barely stirred.

Leaving the room quietly, Harry joined his friends in the living room. He plopped onto the couch next to Shue, staring at the TV with unseeing eyes.

"Is Duo alright?" Magic asked in a concerned tone.

Shue glanced up at the question.

Harry shrugged. "I think he's got the flu or something. He keeps hiding in the bathroom and sleeping a lot."

"And he's much paler than usual," Magic pointed out. "Maybe we should leave and give him some time alone."

"Alone?"

"Well yeah," Magic shrugged. "We did just move ourselves in. And you know how Duo is. If he's sick he's going to do everything to hide it. Much like someone else we know." He sent Harry a shrewd look and the teen smiled, shrugging lightly. "He's probably trying so hard to hide that he's not feeling well from us that it's making it worse."

Shue and Harry agreed. "But where should go?" Shue asked. "We moved in here because we didn't have anywhere else."

"I could take you guys to the magical world," Harry offered. "I own a few different houses there."

"Okay, have I ever mentioned that it annoys the hell outta me that you two live like you're poor homeless folk but in truth your fucking millionaires?"

"Hey, I am not a millionaire," Harry defended. "I'm just well off. In the wizarding world."

"And I gave up that fortune," Magic added. "It's much more rewarding to work for your living than having it dropped into your lap."

Shue stared at him. "Yeah, because being disowned and technically dead is what everyone hopes their hard work leads to."

"Okay, okay," Harry said quickly before the two could start fighting. "Let's get back on track. Where can we go for a few days to give Duo some time to relax and get over his flu?"

"We could just get a hotel room," Shue pointed out. "Duo's got the money and said we could use it for whatever. And I kinda like the idea of sitting around ordering room service and lazing by a nice big pool."

Harry and Magic stared at their friend. "How can you bang on us for having money when you're the one who wants to sit poolside and be lazy all day?"

Shue rolled his eyes as the three heard a soft laugh from behind them. They turned and saw Duo standing in the hallway. He was covered very lightly in sweat and looked a little shaky on his legs. Harry started to stand but stopped, sitting back down. As much as he wanted to run and help his boyfriend, he knew Duo wouldn't appreciate it. The man was strong and proud and would probably resent Harry "coming to his rescue" while he was sick.

"How're you feeling?" he asked instead.

Duo shrugged. "Peachy. What are you three talking about hotels and pools for?"

"We noticed you trying to hide from us," Shue began, "so we figured we'd leave for a couple of days and give you a break."

"We did kinda just move ourselves in," Magic added. "It would be rude of us not to give you some time alone."

" _Now_ you're worried about being rude?" Duo shook his head, his lips pulled into a smile. "Man you three are dicks."

"We can be gone tomorrow morning," Harry offered. "That'll give you some time alone to relax."

Duo grabbed a glass of water before answering slowly. His tone was light. "Yeah, okay. I guess I could use a break from the constant noise of the TV."

"If you didn't like it, you wouldn't have it," Shue muttered.

Harry stood and leaned on the counter in the kitchen. He peered at Duo's face with worried eyes. Duo smiled reassuringly and leaned forward, kissing his nose quickly.

"I'm fine, just got a stomach bug."

Feeling slightly better, Harry nodded. "Then we'll take off tomorrow and let you get better. Do you want me to get you any medicine before we go? Any ice cream?"

"Ice cream?"

"Isn't that what you eat when you're sick?" Harry asked. That's what Petunia had always fed Dudley.

"I'm fine. You three just get out of my hair for a little while and let me rest up."

Harry smiled and nodded. "Okay, and remember, if you need anything, I can be here in less than a second." He leaned forward. "I mean it, I'm a wizard, remember?"

"How could I forget?"

*!*!*

The teens spent three days at a hotel, giving Duo time to get over his flu. Shue did exactly what he wanted and lay around the pool until the staff had to kick him out. With Duo's permission, the three ordered room service for no other reason than they could. Harry had never stayed in a hotel before and Shue had never been allowed to spend money so extravagantly. Magic was the only calm one about the situation and kept the other two from getting out of hand.

Finally, Duo sent a text to his boyfriend saying he was feeling better and missed him. Shue and Magic gagged at the sweet words while Harry blushed lightly and ordered them to shut up.

"We still going mini-golfing tonight?" Harry asked.

"That's the plan."

"Okay, I'll go get Duo. You two find a place and call me."

"Sounds good."

The three went their separate ways. Harry was too excited to see Duo again to bother with walking home. He really missed his boyfriend and was sad that he wasn't able to be there to help nurse Duo back to health. But his boyfriend was much like him when it came to being sick. He didn't like anyone to see and was uncomfortable with people fawning over him. Harry was glad Duo was feeling better though. He couldn't wait to spend time together again.

The wizard appeared on the roof across the street from their flat. He didn't want to apparate directly inside and startle Duo. The first time he had done that, Duo nearly shot him on instinct. Afterwards the rule had been put in place of no appearing without warning in the house. Harry stood on the edge of the roof and looked into the flat, confused when the lights were off and curtains drawn. He frowned and made to jump but stopped, his eye catching movement down below.

Harry leapt to the next building over, which was three stories shorter than the one he'd been standing on. On the ground he spotted Duo, but his boyfriend wasn't alone. He was surrounded by four others. Quatre Winner and his bodyguard along with two more men. One was the bodyguard who had beaten Shue and the other was an Asian man with black hair. They seemed to be arguing with Duo about something and Harry knelt down on the roof. He flicked his hand and suddenly their voices were amplified so Harry could hear them.

"...are getting worse!" the blonde, Quatre, was saying. "You just spent two days getting treatment with Sally!"

"Yeah, and now I feel just fine," Duo grumbled.

"Two days worth of treatments isn't enough! You need to keep going or you will die! _Die_ Duo!"

"You have stage two stomach cancer," Heero stated. "It is not untreatable but without medical assistance death is guaranteed. You will come with us back to the hospital and remain until you are cancer free."

Duo rolled his eyes. "Seriously, Heero, stop ordering me around already. I didn't listen to ya during the war, and I ain't gonna to listen to ya now." Duo looked at his friends. "Guys, I'm handling it, okay? I know you're just looking out for me but enough. I'm happy with where I am and what I'm doing."

"Spending your nights running around the city with some boy?" Quatre demanded. "Duo, I'm very happy you've found someone –and we'll talk about why we haven't met him yet later— but you can't base your decision on a fling."

Duo's eyes flashed with anger but Quatre didn't back down.

"And if he's not a fling then you should have told him the truth long ago and been open about your condition."

Harry had heard enough. He jumped from the rooftop and used his magic to soften his landing. The impact didn't hurt but he still landed with a loud enough thud to draw the group's attention. Harry ignored the four men and stared at Duo, his head titled curiously.

"Harry..."

"So you're... sick?" Harry asked. There was no accusation in his voice. He and Duo had long ago come to the agreement to not ask about each other's private business. If there was something they wanted one another to know, they would say it. Though Harry would be lying if he didn't admit that Duo keeping this from him hurt a little.

Duo shrugged. "That's what they tell me."

Harry glanced away briefly. "You gonna die?"

Again, Duo shrugged. "That's what they tell me."

Harry frowned at his boyfriend, not caring for the nonchalant attitude. He took a few steps forward, noticing right away how the other four men tensed up. Harry stopped.

"So what? You gotta go see a doctor or something?"

"Yes," Quatre butt in. "He needs to see a doctor right away. He's already put this off for far too long. He needs medical treatment."

Harry stared at the blonde before turning back to Duo. "Well?"

"It's the responsible thing to do," Duo muttered.

Harry couldn't help but smirk at those words. He shook his hair out of his eyes and watched his boyfriend carefully. "So what are you going to do?"

Duo shook his head while Quatre answered once again. "He's going to come back with us to talk to Sally and find out what he needs to do to beat this! He's already been through a couple rounds of treatments and they've helped greatly!"

Harry noticed how Duo didn't seem at all pleased with that suggestion. Duo glared at the ground, his back to his friends so he could face Harry.

"Is that what you want?"

Duo didn't answer.

Harry made an angry sound in the back of this throat. "Stop standing there like a fucking idiot! If you want to go see a doctor then go see one. If you don't, then don't. You know how I feel about responsibility. It's your choice, Duo."

Duo looked surprised by his outburst and Harry flushed, rushing through his next words.

"But whatever you pick, I'll follow you, if you want."

Duo blinked before smiling lightly. "Gonna follow me, huh? Gonna chain yourself to me? What happened to being free?"

"What happened to living the way you choose?"

Harry stared at him seriously, a slight frown on his face. Duo was taken back for a moment. A phone rang and Harry reached into his pocket and pulled it out. He read the message quickly before smiling and turning back to Duo.

"Whatever you want to do, pick it and let's do it," he said."I'll follow you wherever you go. You wanna see a doctor, fine, let's go see one. You wanna say fuck it and go mini-golfing with the guys, then we can do that too. It's up to you, just say what you want."

Duo felt a strong sense of care and appreciation in his chest at Harry's words. He knew all of his friends cared deeply for him but Harry was the only one willing to let him chose his own path. The other former pilots wanted him to go to a doctor and get treatment and that was fine, he understood they spoke out of love. But they didn't understand that Duo didn't want to. The thought of being in a hospital for any length of time was worse than the thought of dying. Hospitals meant giving up his freedom. Mini-golf meant keeping it.

Duo glanced over his shoulder at Quatre, who was watching the pair closely. His blonde friend was stubborn, probably the most stubborn one in the group. But he was just going to have to deal with it. Duo was the sick one so he was the one who made the decisions.

"Mini golf?" Duo asked.

Harry grinned. "Yeah, Shue found one with shit security. They're waiting for us now."

Duo nodded. "Meet me up there," he gestured vaguely towards the buildings. "I've just gotta finish this."

Harry hesitated for a moment before nodding. He glanced at all of Duo's friends before turning away. Running, he gathered his magic and jumped up onto the roof of the nearest building before disappearing into the night. As soon as he was gone, Duo faced the group head on.

"You know, I'm seriously in love that with that kid."

Quatre nodded slowly while the others looked surprised by his admission.

"If I go back with you, I can't be with him."

"Yes you can," Quatre insisted. "He just said he'd follow you."

"I can't ask him to give up his freedom for me. He went through some painful shit to win it."

"Duo you can't jut ignore this! You're very sick and can – _will_ \- die without treatment! What do you think he wants more? You to give up your 'freedom' for a little while or for you to die?"

Duo didn't answer as he shook his head. "Maybe I'll see you guys around." He turned and waved briefly over his shoulder before running toward the buildings. The braided man could hear his friends running after him but it wasn't hard to loose them once he was on the rooftops. Harry had shown him all the best routes. Heero managed to keep up the longest but eventually even his footsteps faded away.

When Duo came to a stop he was only mildly surprised to find Harry waiting for him. The younger man always kept up. He smiled and held out a hand, which Harry accepted.

"So you're sick," Harry stated.

Duo nodded. "Yeah."

 _"Are_ you going to die?"

Duo shrugged. "We all die eventually, Robin."

Harry stared at him and Duo smiled slightly at the annoyance radiating from his boyfriend.

"But if you're asking if I'm going to die sooner than most, then yeah, probably."

"Why doesn't it bother you?"

Duo shrugged. "Because I never expected to live very long anyway. I've always known I'd die young." Duo turned to him. "Why doesn't it bother you more?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess I never expected to grow old either. I thought I was going to die during the war. I was the scapegoat, the sacrifice. The fact that I denied all the odds and lived..." Harry shrugged. "I don't know what to do with myself. I keep living like I'm going to die tomorrow so the fact that you could as well... it doesn't bother me as much as it should."

Duo released Harry's hand to wrap an arm around his shoulders. "We were way too young to fight in a war."

"Yeah..."

The two stood together on the rooftop, watching the moon rise in the sky. Harry wrapped his arms around Duo's waist and hugged tightly. He smiled and hugged back.

"So we gonna go play mini-golf?" Harry asked eventually, his voice soft.

"Sounds like a fun," Duo answered, just as quiet.

"I hope we die on the same tomorrow so I don't have to live without you," Harry admitted quietly, feeling his throat constrict slightly.

Duo pulled him close, feeling love and a little guilt blossom in his chest. Their lips met in a gentle kiss and the two stayed entwined so long they forgot all about mini-golf. Alone on the rooftop, Duo and Harry kissed, undressing each other slowly and embracing their bodies together passionately. They remained together all night, holding on as if it were their last night together in this world.

*!*!*

Harry stood at the window of the flat, staring out at the streets below him. It was early morning, barely seven o'clock, and the businesses around them were just opening their doors. The streets were slowly filling with cars and people as those who preferred the nightlife went to bed and the ones who liked the day came out.

Magic entered the living room, yawning and stretching. He paused in surprise when he saw Harry up and smiled as he spotted Duo on the couch, sleeping peacefully. Quietly, the teen walked over to his friend.

"Haven't been to sleep yet?"

Harry shook his head and opened the door to the balcony. He climbed half on the edge before turning to a surprised Magic.

"I've gotta take care of something," he admitted. "I might not be back for a couple days. Tell Duo and and Shue not to worry. And don't you worry either."

Confused, Magic nodded slowly. "Okay... are you in trouble? Do you need help?"

"No. I've just... I've just decided to grow up. It's time to grow up, Magic."

Harry vanished over the edge and then disappeared with a small pop. Even more confused, Magic reached out to shut the door but suddenly stopped. Deciding to leave it open in case Harry came back sooner rather than later, Magic stepped away. After looking once more over his shoulder, the teen sighed and wandered into the kitchen looking for breakfast.

 **A/N: So what did you guys think? Harry maybe acting a little nonchalant about Duo being sick but next chapter will show him struggling to deal with it.**

 **So I've decided to be a better author and will responded to all reviews (that are logged in of course, there's no way to respond to the other ones). So no matter what you review I promise to respond! This is my goal! So everyone please review and ask lots of questions so I have something to respond to!**

 **Thank you!**


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